Pokemon Trainer In An Outrealm
by DMGmana
Summary: When the events that lead up to the beginning of Fire Emblem Awakening interfere with the time-space continuum and connects to the Pokemon dimension, two Pokemon are not happy. They send an unwilling and unknowing Trainer to investigate the cause for them. This is the story of the Trainer in lands where no Pokemon exist and death happens on a daily basis.
1. Chapter 1

Dialga and Palkia were not happy. Someone or something had interfered with the time-space continuum with the intention to directly alter events in the past. Dialga by itself was able to alter time to its liking. It could speed, slow, or even freeze time. The only time-related ability it lacked was traveling through time itself and by extension the reversal of time, though it could interfere with those that did or send someone to the past if needed to. Being the Master of Time, it could sense the 'intention' of the so-called time-tunnel one traveled through to jump from one time to another. Traveling for minor stuff such as exploring the past lands as Celebi often did, it could overlook. However, this unknown being who had opened such a massive time-tunnel for many individuals to travel through with the intention of changing the past had irked it, immensely so if Palkia too had been bothered by it. And it was not just a single time-tunnel. There were two, one opening just after the other.

Palkia was the Master of Space, being able to warp and alter space to its liking, such as allowing the doors of human settlements to connect to another place entirely regardless of how near or far it was. Another example would be fitting large areas of land, such as an entire forest, into a small mass of land, such as the room of a human child. It could travel extremely fast by distorting space around it, making its travel almost seem like teleportation. If Dialga could sense the 'intention' of time-tunnels, then Palkia could sense what was in its 'space'. Several humans were travelling through the first time-tunnel, and being pursued by unsavory beings that followed them in. The second time-tunnel had waves of these beings pouring through it to travel to another time. It would not have been concerned as events concerning time were Dialga's territory so to speak, but the sheer enormity of the two back to back time-tunnels had affected space, momentarily linking its dimension with that of the Pokemon dimension. This had to be fixed immediately, even if it had to work with Dialga to do so.

Being on the same page for what seemed like forever since the last time, they decided to send a capable human from their own dimension to investigate and aid in fixing the disturbed time-space continuum. However, being the extremely proud beings that they were, they picked that human with no regard to whether it was willing to help or not, the only condition being that they were good of heart. The Chosen One was currently busy dealing with one of their fellow Legendaries, so they had to pick someone else. They sent that human across to the other dimension without having prior knowledge of its supposed duty at all before using their combined powers to shut out any more access to the Pokemon dimension. They would be watching, but would only bring the human back after its given task was complete.

*****Break Line, Pokemon POV*****

Rachel was awakened by worried calls from her Pokemon, having fallen unconscious when a vortex had suddenly appeared in front of her and swallowed her up. Groggily regaining her senses, she saw her seven Pokemon looking over her worriedly. Well, six Pokemon and one 'family pet', if one wanted to be precise.

"What are all of you doing out here?" she asked. Her 'family pet' gestured towards six mangled Pokeballs a short distance away. Apparently they had been wrecked when she was swallowed by that vortex and no longer functioned correctly, forcibly letting out all of her Pokemon. Checking the contents of her travel bag, she was dismayed to see most of her items were gone. Her Pokedex was offline, the screen stating there was no connection. Only her clothes for various weather conditions remained intact. "Is everyone alright? Are you all unhurt when you were let out?" she looked over all her Pokemon worriedly. They all made affirmative sounds, meaning they were just fine. In order from left to right, she checked on them anyway.

Espy the Espeon, female. The 'family pet', Rachel's unregistered Pokemon, meaning Espy had not been captured and considered 'wild', hence why she could travel with seven Pokemon rather than the normal maximum of six.

Blaze the Flareon, male.

Sparky the Jolteon, male.

Aqua the Vaporeon, female.

Shadow the Umbreon, male.

Glacy the Glaceon, female.

Eclair the Dragonair, female. The only Pokemon Rachel owned that was not part of an Eeveelution and also her only Pokemon to carry an Everstone attached to a simple string and worn as a pendant.

Looking around at her unknown location, Rachel was just about to ask where they were when the sound of a faraway explosion was heard from behind her. Turning around, she saw a rural town set ablaze with raging fire. Since it was not a modernized city, she doubted they had the means of containing a fire that large even with the help of Water-Type Pokemon if they had any. They were in a grass field, so Water-Type Pokemon were scarce. Hopping onto Eclair, she took off into the sky while the Eeveelutions took to the ground and ran, keeping pace with the floating dragon. When they arrived though, it was a scene not unlike that of a horror movie.

"W-W-What is this...?" Rachel stammered, her face extremely pale as she looked at all the bloodied corpses littered all over the town. On the way over, she had spotted villagers fleeing, but the sight of the few murdered was already too much for her to take in. Feeling the contents of her stomach rise, she hurriedly turned to the side to vomit out her latest meal.

"Well, what do we have here? A young lady travelling with her weird-looking pets?" a man's voice addressed her.

"W-Who are you...? Did you do all this...?" she asked, thoroughly frightened at the sight of the bloody axe the man was hefting on his shoulder.

"If you don't wanna die, I highly suggest you don't resist. You seem to be just of age... Looking very nice and pretty too..." his eyes roamed all over her maturing body, causing chills to shoot up her spine.

"Of age? You don't mean...!" she immediately scooted back, tears of fear streaming down her face.

"Don't worry. I won't leave you alone. My boys deserve some fun too," he licked his lips in anticipation as several other men appeared from several alleys behind him.

"N-NO!" she screamed, and all her Pokemon took that as a sign of danger. They all stood in front of her protectively, snarling and growling fiercely at the man. They had never harmed another human before, but if this man wished terrible harm on their trainer, perhaps even death, they would show no mercy. This man and his followers had killed if their weapons were anything to go by. They would bear the burden of killing humans if it meant keeping their beloved trainer alive.

"Let's get her, boys!" the man pointed his axe forward and his followers gave a loud cheer... until one of the sword wielders got severely electrocuted for it, courtesy of Sparky. **(Thunderbolt)** "Pretty interesting pets you got there, girl," the leader mentioned after eyeing his fallen comrade for a second. "They'll make good fur coats if nothing else!" They were now going in for the kill. It was kill or be killed now. They would not falter, even if this was their first time taking a human life. Because if they did, Rachel would suffer a terrible fate, and they would rather give their lives for her than let her suffer.

*****Break Line, Fire Emblem POV*****

At the other side of Southtown, Chrom, his loyal knight Frederick, his little sister Lissa and the newly befriended Robin were clearing out the brigands, but they were mysteriously thinned out. The number of brigands they had killed were far too few to have caused this much destruction so quickly.

"Milord, something is amiss. Their numbers are too little," Frederick looked around warily for any sign of an ambush as his armored horse slowly trotted along.

"Frederick is right that something is wrong. It is certainly not an ambush as they were already disorganized when we arrived," Robin agreed, slowly surveying the ruined town for any sign of straggled brigands. "Let's move to the center of the town, perhaps our answer lies there." And in fact it was, except she was not expecting it to be in the form of a huge blast of fire heading towards them.

"Lissa, watch out!" Chrom dived towards his sister, grabbing her and going into a roll, safely away from the attack. Frederick had similarly maneuvered his steed to evade the flames, pulling Robin along in the nick of time.

"W-What was that?" Lissa shrieked, spooked by the sudden attack headed towards them just a second ago.

"An ambush?" Frederick grew even warier, his steed just as agitated, remaining still only by his expert control.

"No, look! That attack was not meant for us! We were merely in its way!" Robin pointed out a blackened corpse of a brigand, clearly dead from being engulfed in the blast of fire.

"Is someone already here fighting off the brigands?" Chrom questioned.

"Most likely. We have to let whoever is fighting know we are not the enemies," Robin advised as she dusted her cloak. "But be prepared in case talks don't go well," she readied her Thunder tome in her hand, ready to be cast at a moment's notice.

The closer the group of four got to the center of Southtown, the more brigands they spotted being strewn all over the place, some dead and others nearing death. What utterly confused them were all the various sorts of injuries they had suffered, ranging from being burnt alive to being constricted to death. One even had drowned to death, as impossible as it seemed. However, the amount of water and how wet the corpse was gave irrefutable proof. Lissa let out a scream when she spotted boulders of ice with human body parts in them.

"What just happened here...?" she asked, now very afraid. What manner of sorcery was this? The sound of a girl weeping audibly answered her, as their group rushed to the source. A young girl was there, perhaps about thirteen years of age, crying hysterically at the sight of corpses all around her but unable to tear her eyes away from the gruesome sight.

"Hey! Are you alright?" Chrom rushed towards the girl. Unfortunately, the girl only cried out harder and looked even more scared, falling on her bottom when he approached.

"Chrom, put your sword away! What are you doing rushing towards her with your weapon drawn?" Lissa scolded her brother. Before he could do so, a blast of high-pressure water slammed into him. He would have crashed into a wall and could possibly have gotten severely hurt if not for Frederick blocking his flight path with his armored steed.

"Milord!" Frederick cried out in alarm.

"I'm... alright..." Chrom coughed heavily, trying to get rid of the sudden rush of water that entered his body coupled with the bruises he suffered from the sheer impact of it. Now he understood why the brigand earlier had appeared to have drowned to death in an impossible location to drown in.

"You'll be okay!" Lissa placed her staff over her brother and quickly chanted a healing spell, magically helping his body adjust to the sudden inhalation of water and stop choking on it as well as relieve him of his injuries.

"Show yourself, cowardly fiend!" Frederick shouted loud and clear, enraged at the fact his lord had been blindsided and attacked. No-one answered his call.

"Stop, Frederick! We don't have to make enemies out of them. They could have just mistaken Chrom as him trying to attack the girl," Robin told him and he reluctantly backed down. "Please, we are not your enemies! We are only here to help the townspeople when we noticed the town was under attack! We do not wish to fight!" she declared to whoever was hearing, but kept her Thunder tome at the ready in case her claims were refuted.

"R-Really? You're not here to kill anyone...?" the crying girl from earlier spoke up, wiping her tears away though they still fell. Lissa approached the girl gently, her staff held behind her to avoid looking aggressive.

"Don't cry. We're here to help, but it looks like it's already been taken care of," she spoke to the girl gently. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm fine," she shakily got up, accepting Lissa's hand to help her stand. "It's alright now, everyone! These people are safe!" the girl suddenly announced in a loud voice. Several unrecognizable animal calls could be heard responding to the girl's voice, before seven creatures none of them had ever seen before showed up from various areas of Southtown.

"What manner of creatures are they?" Robin asked the question in all their minds, struck with awe as she watched each of them. She counted seven in total.

"Be careful, milord," Frederick put himself and his steed in a defensive position. "The hostility is clear in their eyes." Two of them began growling, daring him to make a move.

"No, stop! It's okay, please! Mister, please put away your weapon!" the girl pleaded, her fear still very evident as her eyes were drawn to his lance.

"Do as she says, Frederick," Chrom told him, and he obeyed by putting a blunt cover over the sharp point of his lance. The girl visibly relaxed as she called for the creatures. They obediently made their way to her side, but they were all giving Chrom's group a wary gaze.

"Um, I'm so sorry!" the girl bowed her head to Chrom in apology. "When we first arrived, we were attacked by bandits. Aqua must have thought you were about to attack me when you approached me with your sword in the open! It was an honest mistake! Please forgive her!"

"Aqua?" he repeated, unsure as to which creature she was referring to. A call from the blue fish-cat... dog... creature responded to the name, signifying that it was named Aqua.

"So this is the creature that attacked Chrom with the huge blast of water moments ago?" Robin asked curiously.

"Ah, yes. She is well-versed with water attacks," the girl seemed calmer now that they were no longer swinging weapons and shooting attacks around.

"Oh! Oh! Let me guess!" Lissa raised her hand in child-like amusement. "This one shoots fire, right?" she pointed to the reddish-orange dog creature with a light yellow tuft of fur on its head, fluffy mane and bushy tail. "And this one shoots lightning!" she pointed to the spiky-furred yellow dog creature with a white mane and no visible tail.

"This blue serpent is certainly the one to have done the constrictions," Frederick correctly singled out the long blue serpentine creature floating in mid-air.

"This light-blue creature is the one that froze some of the brigands, am I right?" Chrom looked towards the light-blue furred creature which more closely resembled a fox than a dog compared to the orange and yellow creatures.

"The black one with yellow rings uses dark attacks, I assume?" Robin pondered over the black fox creature, though she could see certain resemblances to cats. "But this purple one... I can't make an accurate guess." The purple one was definitely the most feline of the bunch of six similar-looking creatures, the closest to resembling a normal cat except for the forked tail and the red jewel embedded in its forehead. The only one that did not have any similarities with any other was the floating serpent.

"You'll know when she uses her powers," the girl replied, not revealing the purple-furred creature's abilities.

"You know, at first I thought they were scary people with really strong magical powers," Lissa mentioned before her eyes lit up with huge joy as she admired all of the girl's creature companions. "But looking past that, they're all really cute! Can I pet them, please?" she gushed at the girl for permission. The girl looked towards her creatures and seemingly got some sort of silent message from them.

"Only Espy, the purple one. Her fur is the color lilac, by the way. She doesn't like being called purple. And Glacy, the light-blue one. Give the rest some time to warm up to you," the girl gave her permission. Lissa crouched down and slowly petted their heads as they leaned in to get more enjoyment out of the comforting touch as she giggled in amusement. She then proceeded to introduce the small group and soon learned the girl's name and the names of each of her creatures.

"Well, that's the end of that," Robin let out a breath of relief.

"Lucky for the town, we were close by. But holy wow, Robin! You were incredible!" Lissa turned to Robin with a very impressed smile. "Swords, sorcery _and_ tactics! Is there anything you can't do?"

"You're certainly no helpless victim, that much is for sure," Chrom said.

"Indeed. Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how you came here?" Frederick asked, still not completely trusting of their new acquaintance.

"I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick," Robin replied with added respectfulness, wincing from his harsh tone. "And I cannot explain why only some knowledge has returned to me. But please, believe me. I have shared all I know."

"You fought to save Ylissean lives. My heart says that's enough," Chrom spoke up in her defense.

"And your mind, milord? Will you not heed its counsel as well?" Frederick tried to argue his point.

"Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with Robin's talents. We've brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician? Besides, I believe her story, odd as it might be."

"Th-Thank you, Chrom," Robin was surprised at Chrom's willingness to believe her very odd situation.

"So how about it? Will you join us, Robin?" he offered her a place by his side.

"I would be honored," she accepted wholeheartedly.

"How about you, Rachel? Do you too lack a proper reason for your arrival in these parts?" Frederick turned his suspicion towards Rachel.

"Frederick, don't be so rude!" Lissa scolded him, seeing how Rachel started to clam up and was beginning to shake with fear. Warning growls came from her creature companions, and lightning was already sparking off Sparky's fur which had spiked itself, looking very sharp. "You're scaring her! We're not hostile people!"

"Excuse my unintentional demeanor," he bowed his head slightly to appease Lissa. "I meant no aggressive intentions. I had simply wanted to hear why you are out here with your companions."

"I-I'm travelling the lands..." Rachel answered shakily. "That's all..."

"At such a young age?"

"Um, I started my travels two years ago, when I was eleven..."

"Eleven? That's way too young to be travelling to the many parts of the land!" Lissa exclaimed.

"In the lands where I'm from, children are allowed to start travelling at the age of ten."

"An absurd story, just like-" Frederick's criticism was cut short by louder, angrier growling.

"Frederick, if those children had even one of these creatures as companions, I imagine they're very safe even in the wilderness," Chrom told him, reminding him of her companions.

"Yes, I see now. I apologize for my hasty judgement. I did not mean to be so harsh, but I hope you understand my position as a knight."

"I know! Why not come along with us too, Rachel?" Lissa offered.

"C-Can I...?" Rachel's face lit up slightly with hope.

"I thought you are in the midst of your travels?" Chrom asked, confused as to why she wanted to join his group.

"Back home, there is nothing like brigand attacks. We have the occasional crimes, but never murder," she explained, her face turning pale once again at the subject of murder. "So please... If these raids are common in this land, I don't wish to travel!"

"But aren't you safe with your companions?" Robin asked. Rachel only shook her head violently. It was clear to the group that she was heavily traumatized by the brigand attack she had just witnessed.

"I must warn you, we are going to have blood spilled by our hands. I can offer you protection, but there will be no avoiding deaths if you follow us," Chrom warned with a gentle yet stern tone. She froze up when she heard that.

"You don't necessarily have to fight. You can just help out with the domestic duties while we travel around," Lissa reassured her. "Frederick does all of them, so you can lend him a hand!"

"I am not opposed to having assistance. I will gladly welcome help if it's offered," Frederick said. "But did you notice, milord? The brigands spoke with a Plegian accent."

"Plegian? What's that?" Robin asked, confused by the term.

"Plegia is Ylisse's westerly neighbor," Chrom answered. "They send small bands into our territory, hoping to instigate a war."

"And it's the poor townsfolk who suffer! Totally innocent, and totally helpless..." Lissa grew sad just thinking about how many innocents had suffered and died by the numerous raids.

"They do have us, milady. Shepherds to protect the sheep," Frederick reminded her. "Do not be swept up in your anger. It will cloud your judgment."

"I know, I know... Don't worry. I'll get used to all this," she replied with a smile.

"Milord, please! You must stay the night!" a villager who had returned once he realized all the brigands were gone yelled for them. "We are simple folk of simple means, but we would gladly toast your valor with a feast!"

"A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality will be grand... But I'm afraid we must hurry back to Ylisstol," Frederick kindly refused on everyone's behalf.

"Dark meat soup for me, medium well, and no salt in the soup. I simply-" Lissa had already started to request for food, having been misled by Frederick's ambiguous comment about the proposed feast. It was only after that that her brain registered his next sentence. "Wait, what? We're not staying? But, Frederick, it's nearly dark!"

"When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like... I believe you mentioned you would be 'getting used to this'?" he quoted her with a disarming smile.

"Frederick? Sometimes I hate you."

"You've quite the stern lieutenant there," Robin piped up, unnerved by his smile.

"Yeah, well, 'stern' is one name for it. I can think of a few others!" Lissa replied, clearly upset.

"Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring down the axe," Chrom mentioned.

"Duly noted," Robin kept that in mind.

"You do realize I _am_ still present?" Frederick reminded them of his presence with a small clearing of his throat.

"Oh, we realize," Chrom chuckled, encouraging Robin to let out a small laugh as well.

"Milord remains as amusing as ever," he said sarcastically in as flat a tone as he could manage. "Now then, shall we be going?"

"All right, all right." Chrom turned to face his two new friends. "Ready to go, Robin and Rachel? The capital isn't far." The now enlarged group headed off for their destination.

*****Break Line, General POV*****

"I told you, it's getting dark already!" Lissa complained before suddenly shrieking. "And now the bugs are out! Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl all over and bite you when-" A small ball of fire shot past in front of her face, scaring her into silence. **(Ember)** The utter silence that followed and bugs dropping dead where Blaze had breathed his flames made her smile. "Thanks for scaring all the bugs away, Blaze!"

"He must have seen a bug about to enter your mouth, Lady Lissa," Rachel told her, hitching a ride on Eclair with a white, almost transparent veil surrounding them. **(Safeguard)**

"You can just call me Lissa," she insisted. "Lady sounds so stuffy."

"Um, okay," Rachel seemed hesitant to agree, looking as if she was doing something wrong.

"Why is it that none of the bugs are disturbing you?" Lissa had noticed this weird happening since they entered the forest.

"Maybe the sense of power coming from my Pokemon is scaring them away?" Rachel did not seem too sure herself, but she was sure Eclair put up the veil to prevent the bugs from getting to her. Robin had asked what creatures her companions were, and Rachel answered that animals in her land were generally referred to as Pokemon. Since Ylisse had no Pokemon to call their own but the animals that preceded them, Rachel opted not to tell Robin what species her Pokemon were since it would not have mattered. In Rachel's homeland, all animals had evolved to become Pokemon. There were no longer dogs, but dog Pokemon.

"Aw, come on now, Lissa. Hardship builds character," Chrom told her in an amused tone. "Want to help me gather firewood?"

"I'll pass on finding firewood, thanks. I think I've built _quite _enough character for one day! I don't need bugs adding to my hardship!" Lissa refused with a childish tantrum.

"We should probably think about food," Robin spoke up. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"Yes, I should think a little hunting and gathering is in order," Frederick agreed. "Now, who wants to clear a campsite?" It was quickly decided that Robin and Chrom would hunt wild game with the Eeveelutions while Frederick, Lissa and Rachel would make the campsite. Eclair was to stay by Rachel's side as she was too big to move through the woods quickly to gather food. The hunters returned half an hour later, with Chrom dragging a bear carcass along. Lissa visibly cringed in disgust as she was forced to watch the bear get cooked over the campfire.

"It's been too long since I last had bear meat. Delicious!" Chrom praised his caught meal before noticing his sister completely ignoring her share of bear meat. "...What's wrong, Lissa? Dig in."

"Pass!" she grumbled irritably. "...Gods, couldn't you spear us an animal normal people eat for once? I mean, come on! Who ears bear? You're meddling with the food chain. Right, Robin?" No answer from Robin came. "...Uh, Robin?" Looking straight at Robin, she saw her too engrossed in eating her share of bear meat. Wait, was that another piece of bear meat she spotted in front of her? Ignoring it for the moment, Lissa sighed. "I suppose a person would enjoy just about anything after not eating for days..."

"Just eat it, Lissa. Meat is meat," Chrom replied.

"Since when does meat smell like old boots!" she snapped. "Wait, I take that back. Boots smell better!"

"Every experience makes us stronger, milady. Even those we don't enjoy," Frederick shared his experience as a knight.

"Really? Then why don't I see _you _eating, Frederick?"

"Me? Oh, well... I'm not hungry. I...I had a large lunch! Yes, quite," he explained, though it sounded suspiciously like an excuse not to eat the bear meat in front of him.

"Yeah right, Frederick!" she clearly did not believe him before turning to Rachel. "What about you, Rachel? Don't tell me you enjoy bear... meat..." Lissa trailed off as she saw Rachel and her Pokemon eating something that was clearly not bear meat.

"Oh no, I gave my share to Robin since she looked like she was starving. I'm not a heavy eater, and it was a tad too much for me..." Rachel explained. "And I didn't want to let my Pokemon's efforts go to waste."

"So what is that you're eating?"

"Rabbit, I believe."

"Can you spare some for me?" Lissa was practically begging for some rabbit meat. "Please! Anything but bear!"

"I-I'm sorry but... it's almost all gone..." she replied apologetically, pointing to two completely meat-less rabbit corpses which her Pokemon had already eaten. "I have this half-eaten portion, but it's unhygienic to share now... If you still want it..."

"Thank you!" Lissa gushed, gratefully accepting the half-eaten leg of the rabbit and savoring it entirely. The only unhappy camper left was poor Frederick...

*****Break Line, General POV*****

"...Huh?" Chrom felt a sense of unease come over him as he was startled awake. It appeared he was not the first to notice this, as Rachel's Pokemon were standing guard around her, warily observing the surroundings and on high alert. He supposed animal instincts would feel the uneasy atmosphere better.

"What's wrong, Big Brother?" Lissa yawned, accidentally woken up when Chrom's boots made some noise as he stood up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, but... Something is amiss... The Pokemon feel it too," he told her.

"Define 'something'."

"I'm not sure... I think I'll have a look around."

"Not alone, you won't! I'm coming too!" Lissa was now fully awake, her sleepiness removed by the tense atmosphere.

"Heh. Thanks, Lissa." A small bark was heard from beside and below Lissa, and both siblings looked down. Shadow was there, almost blending completely into the darkness of the night if not for the yellow rings adorned at parts of his body. "You can come along too, Shadow." After walking a short distance away from their campsite, the trio paused at the dead silence of the forest.

"It sure is dark. ...And quiet. Where did the birds go?" Lissa asked.

"Something is wrong here..." Chrom was convinced something was definitely amiss with this night. A sudden earthquake rocked the land, nearly causing them to fall. "Gods, what-" he was cut off as he almost lost his balance again. "Agh! What is this madness? Lissa, stay close!" A warning bark came from Shadow who bit down on his cape and pulled, an indication that he wanted them to move. "Lissa, run. I mean it, go! Follow Shadow!" Looking back as they started running, he found out that Shadow had been right. The land where they were standing on just moments ago began to split apart and lava spewed from the crack, razing the forest instantly. Shadow took off running in front of them, leading them away from danger even as fireballs rained on them. He led them around the forest, witnessing the scenery of carnage at the clearing they were in.

"Chrom, what is that?" Lissa pointed to the sky. Light was gathering at a single point in the sky before expanding into a magic circle. Within that circle were crystals which opened up to reveal a tunnel of blue light, almost resembling a human eye. They saw two human-shaped things falling out of the 'eye' and dropping face first to the ground. They stood up, clearly human-shaped and clearly unharmed from their fall, their red eyes glowing in the dark.

"Lissa, you better stand back," Chrom warned, drawing Falchion from its sheath. Those things were clearly hostile if they were brandishing axes. One of them roared, dark purple fog pouring out of its mouth before it charged towards him. Fast as it was, its attempted attack left it wide open for a counter which Chrom executed with perfection. The lack of the sound of a body hitting the ground alerted him that something was wrong. Looking back, he was greeted by the sight of the human monster turning his head almost completely around to look back at him. The monster corrected his posture by twisting his entire body to match his face, bones creaking audibly as Chrom blocked the second attack. After engaging in a deadlock for a few seconds, he managed to parry the axe and delivered a shoulder tackle, knocking the monster to the ground. Seeing his chance, Chrom jumped high and thrust Falchion through its back. When it disappeared by fading away into the same purple fog it breathed, he knew it was gone for good.

Lissa's scream of terror did not allow Chrom to catch his breath. Shadow had been separated from her and now the monster had cornered her against a tree. Just before it could swing the axe to end her life, another being came out from the 'eye' in the sky. This time, it was a proper human that appeared. Landing closer to Lissa just as Chrom was rushing to his sister's aid, the stranger blocked the deathblow in the nick of time but in an awkward position. Chrom stopped and stared in surprise at the newcomer, unsure if he was here to help. From his viewpoint, he could not tell.

Fortunately, Shadow could and the newcomer could not hold for much longer. Hastily charging up a small ball of black energy, he fired it towards the monster. **(Shadow Ball) **Because it would explode on impact, he could not use its full power, otherwise the attack would harm Lissa and the newcomer. Nonetheless, it was good enough as it distracted the monster long enough for Chrom and the newcomer to swing their swords in a simultaneous attack, destroying it in a single hit. Now that the current threat was gone, all eyes were turned towards the newcomer.

"Quite an entrance," Chrom said. "What's your name?" Before he could get an answer, the newcomer ran off when more of those monsters spilled out of the 'eye', presumably to fight them off.

"Milord! Milady! Are you hurt?" Frederick's voice echoed through the forest. He soon burst through the trees with Robin hitching a ride on his steed.

"Frederick! Robin!" Lissa exclaimed in relief before noticing that one of them was missing. "Where's Rachel?"

"Rachel is currently being escorted to safety by her Pokemon," he replied.

"Are such horrific creatures commonplace in these lands?" Robin asked, spotting several of the ghoulish monsters.

"They're not from Ylisse, I can promise you that," Chrom answered.

"No-one is injured, then? Thank the gods..." Frederick exhaled the breath he was holding in concern for them.

"Thank the masked man who saved me! Shadow too!" Lissa replied. If it wasn't for them, I'd be..." She paused to look for her savior, but saw no sight of him. "Hey, where did he go?"

"We can worry about him later, _after _we put these... things... to the blade. Eyes open now. We know nothing about this enemy."

"Right," Chrom agreed, Falchion ready in his hand.

"Hmm? Are those...?" Robin spotted a few decrepit buildings in the distance.

"Abandoned forts, yes," Frederick confirmed her guesses.

"Then we should take shelter in them whenever possible. No doubt they will offer distinct advantages in battle," a strategy already forming in her head. "We have one we can occupy immediately, but that's quite a distance away from where the monsters will attack from. The one we need to occupy is the fort over there but it's being guarded. We have to take it out quickly before the commotion attracts the others roaming in the trees nearby." She looked pointedly to Frederick, about to give the task to him. She knew their group lacked any silent or sneaky hitters but she had to make do. Frederick would be the fastest to get the first strike in before he would attract attention, and then retreat if needed to. It was not until a bark was heard that she finally noticed Shadow, hidden completely in plain sight although he was right next to Lissa. "Shadow? What are you doing here?"

"He came along with us," Lissa replied. Shadow barked again, sounding eager and almost like he was trying to suggest something.

"Shadow, are you perhaps trying to say you can do this?" Robin guessed and got a happy bark in return. "Alright then, we'll leave it to you." She watched with amazement as the yellow rings on Shadow's body dimmed themselves. With his naturally black fur, it was almost impossible to spot him if not for his red eyes. She lost sight of him immediately when he ran into the forest to make his way to the occupied fort. A few minutes later, and without spotting where Shadow was attacking from, there was a guttural grunt followed by the crunch of a tree bark breaking. **(Feint Attack)** A small explosion of dark energy revealed the monster's location and it faded away in defeat. **(Shadow Ball)** Shadow's location was now visible to their eyes, or at least his yellow rings and his red eyes were. His eyes did not glow in the dark like the monsters but the deeper red, almost resembling the color of blood, were more menacing to behold as he stalked back towards the group, his mission accomplished.

"That's amazing, Shadow! Good job!" Lissa crouched down and put her arms in a welcoming gesture. When Shadow got close, he was rewarded with an affectionate head rub which he enjoyed with a happy bark.

"Now's our chance!" Chrom rallied the small group and they quickly fortified the now unguarded fort. Slowly but surely, the monsters caught notice of them and engaged them at the fort where they were outnumbered and quickly destroyed. Reinforcements came in the form of Sully, another one of the Shepherds, and a man named Virion who claimed to be the archest of archers which he quickly proved was no false statement.

"It seems all the creatures have been vanquished," Frederick reported after a quick scouting around the fort and returning with the person who had protected Lissa earlier before the battle. "This young man took care of the others." Upon taking a closer look, he dressed like someone of a noble lineage. He had short dark blue hair, a golden tiara on his head and a black butterfly mask on his face, preventing anyone from seeing his full features.

"Um, I never got to thank you... for before. So... thank you. You were very brave," Lissa expressed her gratitude.

"You saved my sister's life," Chrom gave his own thanks. "My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?"

"You may call me Marth," the young man replied.

"Marth? After the heroic king of old?" A nod answered Chrom's inquiry. "You certainly fight like a hero. Where did you learn your way with a sword?"

"I'm not here to talk about me," Marth abruptly dropped the topic. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude. You have been warned."

"Huh? What's teetering where now? Hey, wait!" Lissa called after him as he walked away. A growling made him pause and put his hand on his sword, alert for any danger. Shadow pounced in front of him to impede his path, very unhappy at the way the youth presented himself and then brushing everyone off rudely.

"What creature is this?" Marth asked, clearly sensing the hostility directed towards him.

"It's alright, Shadow. Let him pass. He did help us, after all," Chrom told Shadow. Once again, he was amazed at how these Pokemon could actually understand human speech when Shadow obediently stood down and returned to their side. Even highly-trained animals needed certain gestures to get them to do something. Frederick could not simply yell 'Charge!' and expect his steed to know what he wanted it to do. He had to use the reins to aid in directing it.

"Not much for conversation, is he?" Robin commented as Marth disappeared through the woods.

"It appears his skills lie elsewhere. I wager we'll hear his name again..." Frederick said. "But for now I'm more concerned about the capital. We should make haste."

"Everyone!" Rachel's voice called out to them from the sky. Looking up, they saw her aboard Eclair as they floated above the treeline.

"Are you alright, Rachel? Are you hurt?" Lissa looked over her when Eclair descended to them, the other Pokemon just appearing from the trees.

"I'm alright, thank you. What happened here?" Rachel asked. Robin gave her a quick summary of the battle against the monsters. Frederick reminded them that they should hurry to the capital in case it too had been affected by the events that occurred tonight.

*****End of Chapter*****

**Author's Note: Okay, so this crossover came to be because one of my personal friends insisted I do a fanfiction about Fire Emblem, a game she loves. Problem was, I have never played any Fire Emblem games before, so I had no idea how to write this. Her great idea was to play Fire Emblem Awakening right beside me and give me certain spoilers to start out with as I typed this out. Then she said, 'Put in another Avatar that's not Robin!' and again I was stumped. How am I supposed to create an Avatar for a series I don't even know about? So she had this bright idea and said, 'Pokemon uses an Avatar! Use that!'**

**And so I incorporated the Pokemon Avatar from my LeafGreen version into the Fire Emblem Awakening dimension. To keep things simple, the Pokemon Avatar, Rachel, is exactly as she looks in the game. I also made her thirteen years old. I know, the earliest age an aspiring trainer can explore the world is ten, but that's not the issue. The issue is that the female Avatar of the game clearly has breasts. Unless ten-year-old girls commonly have breasts like that (ten-year-old girls in the Pokemon dimension do, just look at May!), no way am I putting her at that age. My Pokemon team (from my Pearl version) is also incorporated, being the six Eeveelutions mentioned in this fanfiction. Dragonair is there to help Rachel travel around if she needs flight and transport. On a side note, Robin's Avatar is the first female Avatar you get without doing any changes. Model one, I think. The one that looks like a teenager with the pigtails, not the one resembling a child barely into puberty or the one that is clearly past her teenage years. I don't know. I don't play this game. I'm only watching my friend play.**

**Because Fire Emblem Awakening does consist of murder, human deaths and the such, I had to adjust the Pokemon side of the story accordingly. The change of mindset was probably way too fast, but think about it. If a Pokemon's beloved trainer was about to get killed, they'll kill the offenders first to protect their trainer. Heck, Gardevoir can create a small black hole to protect its trainer, for crying out loud! That's one of the most gruesome ways to die! Simply put, Rachel's Pokemon will kill humans. You have been warned.**

**Also, I may not obey the rules of what Pokemon can learn what Move and what Abilities they have. Case in point, Dragonair. It can freaking float in the air, so why can't it Fly? No, not happening! It will Fly in this fanfiction! And point number two! Dragonair can change the weather whenever it pleases, so why can't it do anything about it in games besides forcing a weather switch which nearly every other Pokemon can do? No! This is injustice! Dragonair has access to Drought, Drizzle, Snow Warning and Air Lock in this fanfiction! Sand Stream isn't weather, by the way. Sandstorms are caused by weather, not a weather itself. Oh, don't forget about Levitate. It's floating in the air! Why does it not have Levitate when other floating Pokemon have it? How is it fair for the first generation Dragon-Type? Is it because it evolves into Dragonite, is that it? Because it gains the Flying-Type and has no need for Levitate? Blasphemy!**

**...And I'm ranting. Forgive me.**

**Another thing to note is Rachel's travel bag does not have hammerspace. It will not hold a boatload of items, let alone 99 of anything. As for Pokemon appearing in the Fire Emblem Awakening dimension? Nope, not happening. It will break the balance of the story. This is about a single Pokemon trainer's unwilling journey in Fire Emblem Awakening to fulfill a task she doesn't even know about, not Pokemon suddenly appearing in the latter dimension. The only Pokemon in the Fire Emblem Awakening dimension are Rachel's seven Pokemon. That's it. The seven of them can be realistically fought and defeated by medieval humans and their weapons. Most enormous Pokemon are already near impossible to defeat by medieval human hands, even with magic. How is it fair if I only include animal-sized or human-sized Pokemon and ignore the gigantic ones? So only those seven.**

**I honestly don't know how I'm to go about doing this, but I'll do so at my friend's pestering (and delaying the fanfiction that I actually want to focus on). In the meantime, I would really like to see how fans of Fire Emblem Awakening and Pokemon alike think of this fanfiction. Please, do kindly drop me reviews or PMs about your thoughts so I may perhaps improve when my friend starts bothering me to update this fanfiction. If you happen to like it, that's great news!**

**Here's hoping I actually get to dedicate my free time to myself and not to my friend's whims...**


	2. Chapter 2

"So this is Ylisstol, capital of Ylisse... I've never seen so many people!" Robin spoke with wonder as she looked around.

"It appears the capital was spared the chaos we encountered, thank the gods," Frederick said with relief. "I see no evidence of the great quake. It must've been limited to the forest."

"Well, that's a relief!" Lissa agreed with a cheerful smile.

"Look! The exalt has come to see us!" an old villager suddenly cried out. There is the distance was a figure clearly of royalty waving to the villagers kindly. She was followed by a small group of female guards and some of them were riding horses with wings. Rachel asked about them, and Lissa answered they were called pegasus, or pegasi in plural. She had seen a horse Pokemon before, but never one with wings. It was no wonder the villagers did not have such a huge reaction when they saw her Pokemon, only mild curiosity and slight wonder. The pegasi certainly were a bigger sight to behold and more impressive-looking.

"The exalt is your ruler, yes?" Robin asked.

"Yes. Her name is Lady Emmeryn," Frederick replied.

"Is it safe for her to walk among commoners like this?"

"The exalt is a symbol of peace, Ylisse's most prized quality. Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the fell dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then."

"With Plegia poking at our borders, the people need her," Chrom followed up with Frederick's explanation. "She's a calming presence, when some might otherwise call for war."

"Then the Ylissean people are indeed lucky to have her," Robin smiled at that.

"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa chirped, missing the look of shock and fear that appeared on Rachel's face.

"Yes, I imagine she-" Robin was not listening clearly for a moment before her brain caught up to Lissa's claim. "Wait, what? She's your... But wouldn't that make you and Chrom..."

"The prince and princess of the realm, yes. You remember Chrom's name and not this?" Frederick had a small smile of amusement on his face, but it was clear he still had doubts about Robin's claim of amnesia.

"You said you were 'shepherds'!" she exclaimed.

"And so we are... in a manner of speaking. We just have a _lot _of sheep," Chrom said.

"C-Chrom... I mean Prince Chrom!" Robin starting stumbling over her words as she awkwardly did some sort of formal bow to Chrom and Lissa. "Sire! Forgive my dreadful manners!"

"Just Chrom is fine. I've never been much for formalities," he chuckled.

"The prince and princess... That explains why Frederick tolerates all the teasing, eh?"

"Indeed. Oh, the sacrifices I make for the good of the realm..." Frederick let out a long-suffering sigh.

"It looks like Emm is returning to the palace. Would you like to meet her?" Chrom offered an invitation. Robin nodded her agreement but Rachel wanted the exact opposite.

"N-No...!" Rachel cried out, her fear palpable to the entire group.

"Rachel, you're all pale! Are you alright?" Lissa went to her side worriedly. "You don't have to be scared of Emmeryn. I promise she won't harm you in any way."

"It... It's not that... I-I... We attacked the prince...! We could have..." she started crying, looking at Chrom and Frederick with a fresh look of fear.

"Killed me?" Chrom mentioned neutrally.

Rachel's breath hitched in her throat and she took a large step back. She might not have done it directly or even at her command, but she knew she was responsible for the deaths of most of the brigands at Southtown. Her Pokemon had killed for her sake. Even if it was purely in self-defense, she still felt she had a hand in causing all that death. Chrom, a prince of all people, was almost included in the death toll. Accidental as it was, she believed the royal family of Ylisse would not accept it and deliver appropriate punishment for her crime of assaulting royalty which was death for her and her Pokemon. With all these thoughts running through her head, she broke into hysteric sobbing. She wanted to run, to flee to anywhere but where she currently was when Lissa hugged her tightly.

"Shh... Everything will be alright," Lissa rubbed her back soothingly. "Chrom's not dead or permanently injured, so everything's okay. We know it's an accident. We're not angry. Big Sister doesn't need to know. Don't be scared. You'll be safe, I promise."

"Lissa's right. It's just an accident, and I'm the one who provoked the attack in the first place. I don't blame your Pokemon for defending you. You have done nothing wrong," Chrom reassured her. Rachel shakily nodded her head, feeling extremely relieved she was being pardoned from any wrongdoing.

*****Break Line*****

"Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home. Oh, and good day, Frederick," Emmeryn greeted her siblings and the loyal knight. "How fared you all?"

"Well, we shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while," Chrom reported.

"Wonderful. And our people?"

"Safe as they can be, Emm. But we still need to watch our borders. The brigands crossed over from Plegia."

"Forgive me, milord," the female knight standing guard next to Emmeryn apologized to Chrom. "My pegasus knights should have intercepted them."

"No, Phila. Your duty was here, with the exalt," Chrom disagreed.

"And besides, we had plenty of help!" Lissa turned towards Robin and Rachel.

"Ah, you speak of your new companions here?" Emmeryn turned her attention to the newcomers.

"This is Robin," Chrom gestured to Robin. "She fought bravely with us against the brigands. I've decided to make her a Shepherd."

"It sounds as though Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude, Robin," Emmeryn smiled kindly towards Robin.

"Not at all, milady!" Robin replied a little too quickly, very nervous in front of the exalt.

"And who is the young lady with her companion creatures?"

"This is Rachel!" Lissa introduced Rachel excitedly. "She's going to be travelling with us with her Pokemon, these creatures!"

"Not as a Shepherd, though," Chrom added. "She is travelling the lands but the lands she has been to are not ravaged by brigands and peaceful. Her Pokemon are more than capable of protecting her, but she insists on staying with us. It's safe to say she fears for her life while she is in our lands."

"Was it your first time seeing dead people when we met you at Southtown?" Lissa asked.

Rachel only nodded, her face deathly pale as the horrid memory of bloodied corpses haunted her mind. Due to the hectic events that happened last night, she was fortunately too distracted to clearly remember it then. Even the short sleep in the forest was due to stress. Fortunately, it was dreamless. She was not so sure that traumatic experience would not start giving her nightmares now that things had started calming down.

"She'll be joining us as the Shepherd's handmaiden, helping out with the domestics chores alongside Frederick and anyone else assigned to it as well," Chrom explained.

"I... I'll do my best!" Rachel pushed her dark thoughts away for the moment and let out an unnaturally high squeak when she spoke, just as nervous as Robin. There was silence for a moment as she felt eyes pointed towards her, even the eyes of her Pokemon. Her face burned in embarrassment as she shuffled behind Robin to hide herself with her large cloak.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak," Frederick spoke up, having stood silently at attention for quite some time. "Robin claims to have lost her memory but it is only that, a claim. We cannot rule out the possibility that she is a brigand herself or a Plegian spy."

"Frederick!" Chrom raised his voice, unhappy with the knight's statement.

"As for Rachel, her claims of coming from a faraway land and journeying through others are believable since we have not seen or heard of any creatures known as Pokemon anywhere in Ylisse or Plegia. I do not suspect her of any foul play, at least for the moment."

"Yet you allowed them into the castle, Chrom. Do they have your trust, Robin in particular?" Emmeryn asked.

"Yes. She risked her life for our people," he answered. "That's good enough for me."

"Well then, Robin..." she smiled warmly to the nervous tactician. "It seems you've earned Chrom's faith, and as such you have mine as well."

"Milady," Robin was touched by her kindness.

"But thank you, Frederick, for your prudence, as always. Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have so tireless a guardian. I do hope they remember to mention that from time to time..."

"They occasionally express something akin to gratitude, Your Grace," Frederick replied before turning his attention to Phila. "Phila, I assume you've heard about the deathly creatures we encountered, yes?"

"Yes, milord," Phila replied, her words showing that Frederick held a higher position than her. "They've been sighted all across Ylisse."

"Chrom, we are about to hold council. I was hoping you could join us," Emmeryn told Chrom.

"Of course," Chrom agreed.

"I think that's our cue, girls!" Lissa said to Robin and Rachel. "Come on, there's a place I want to show you." She then left rather hastily, forcing them to run after her.

*****Break Line*****

Lissa led them out of the capital and through the north exit, heading towards a military garrison not too far from Ylisstol.

"Here we are! The Shepherd's garrison. Go on, make yourself at home," Lissa welcomed Robin and Rachel in. They took a few moments to look around the building.

"Lissa, my treasure! Are you all right? I've been on pins and needles!" a female voice cried out in worry for Lissa. A young woman clearly a noble from the way she dressed came running towards Lissa.

"Oh, hey, Maribelle!" Lissa greeted the noblewoman.

"'Oh, hey' yourself! I've sprouted fourteen grey hairs fretting over you!" Maribelle exclaimed.

"Aw, you worry too much. I can handle a battle or two!" she reassured her with a smile before grimacing. "Though I could do without the bugs and the bear barbecue..."

"Hey, squirt! Where's Chrom?" a tall man wearing no shirt came into view. "I bet he had a rough time out there without old Teach and his trusty axe!"

"Oh, so you're 'Teach' now, Vaike, is that it?" Lissa giggled. "And here I thought people were just born lacking wits. It can be taught?"

"Ha! Never doubt the Vaike!" Vaike bragged until he seemed to realize something and his face soured. "...Wait, was that an insult?"

"Beg pardon, but when might we see the captain?" a shy female voice asked, and it belonged to another young woman wearing armor.

"Poor Sumia. She's simply been beside herself with concern..." Maribelle mentioned with slight pity. "Her eyes were scanning the horizon all day during training. She might have earned fewer bruises fighting blindfolded."

"Aw, Sumia, that's so sweet of you to worry about Chrom," Lissa said.

"Worry? Well, I... He's our captain and our prince. Of course I'd worry!" Sumia replied.

"So, who're the strangers?" Vaike asked, looking at Robin and Rachel... then her Pokemon. "And what are they?" Now that he pointed them out, all the people who were already at the garrison stared at them.

"No-one's stranger than you, Vaike..." Lissa muttered under her breath. "But allow me to introduce Robin! She just joined the Shepherds. Chrom's made her our new tactician. You should see all the tricks she's got up her sleeves!"

"Oh yeah? Can she do this?" Vaike then let out a humongous burp. Rachel recoiled in disgust while Robin only had an amused smile on her face. When Vaike was done burping, he was hosed in the face with water. **(Water Gun) **He stumbled back, yelping in surprise. Lissa burst out in laughter as she watched him sputter and wipe his face dry.

"You can't do that, Aqua! I know it was not a good first impression but..." Rachel tried to appease Aqua who gave a reluctant but accepting call at her trainer's disapproval.

"I'm sure I have much to learn on the belching arts, 'Teach'," Robin replied, feeling shivers crawling up her spine when she saw Aqua turn her eyes towards her, just daring her to do the same so she could drench her as well. "In any case, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintances."

"And this is Rachel and her Pokemon! From left to right they are Espy, Blaze, Sparky, Aqua, Shadow, Glacy. The floating one is Eclair!" Each Pokemon gave a call when each of their names were called.

"Pokemon? What are they?" Sumia asked as she and Maribelle watched them curiously.

"Pokemon are creatures who have evolved from animals to gain certain powers of their own," Rachel answered. "There are plenty of them from the land I come from."

"That was so not cool, interrupting the Vaike like that!" Vaike glared at the Pokemon.

"Ugh, Vaike! That was abhorrent!" Maribelle spoke with utter disgust as she remembered what he did, turning her head away haughtily. "Must you baseborn oafs pollute even the air with your buffoonery? And you, Robin! Don't encourage him! As for you, Rachel! As the keeper of these creatures, keep them on a tighter leash! I'd hoped you both were cut from finer cloth. Hmph!" Having had enough, Maribelle walked away.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." Rachel croaked out, but it appeared her small and frail voice did not reach Maribelle's ears. Growling could be heard coming from Blaze and Sparky, clearly angered by the unjust treatment their trainer had just received. "No, no, it's okay, both of you..."

They stopped their growling but gave the evil eye to Maribelle's back. They had seen their share of mean and rude humans, but she took the cake. Just because she gave them large amounts of freedom to do as they pleased did not mean they did not know discipline! They could listen to Rachel perfectly well! She just disliked ordering them around and telling them what to do. She always asked even though she already knew they would do as they were told without a second thought. That did not make her incapable of keeping them in line. The worst possible insult to Rachel was calling her an incapable trainer. It always made her cry because it crushed her self-esteem immensely and made her doubt herself as a trainer.

"Please don't cry. Don't take it to heart, Rachel, Robin," Sumia comforted the sniffling Rachel. "Maribelle warms to people slowly."

"Or burns too quickly! But yeah, just give her time. Okay, Rachel?" Lissa got a nod from Rachel, which in turn made her smile. It was then Chrom entered the garrison.

"Ah! Captain! You've returned!" Sumia said happily. "I was... I mean, we were so-" As she approached him, she did not see a stray pile of paper on the floor and stepped on it. Losing her balance, she tripped and started falling forward. Before her face could hit the concrete floor of the garrison, she suddenly felt her whole body stop like something had held her in place. To her slight fright, she could not command her body except for her eyes and mouth. Looking at herself, she saw herself outlined by a soft blue light. Whatever that blue light was, it helped her to right herself in mid-air and gently lowered her to the ground safely on her feet. **(Psychic)** "W-What was that...?" she asked the moment the blue light faded.

"Espy stopped you from falling, Lady Sumia," Rachel answered her, her eyes now dried and was rewarding Espy with a comfortable scratch behind her ears.

"Oh no, you don't have to address me as Lady! Just Sumia will do," Sumia was taken aback by the reverence Rachel was showing her. "And thank you, Espy." She remembered to thank the lilac Pokemon for her help.

"I'm sorry, did I use the wrong term?" Rachel had an apologetic look on her face. "Because starting today, I'm going to be a handmaiden to the Shepherds... I thought addressing you as Lady was correct..."

"The smaller squirt isn't going to be a Shepherd with Robin?" Vaike asked.

"No," Chrom shook his head. "Like she said, Rachel will be our handmaiden as we travel around for our missions. Speaking of missions..." he cleared his throat to make sure everyone was paying attention. "Alright, listen, everyone. In the morning, we'll be marching to Regna Ferox."

"Regna Ferox?" Robin inquired.

"A unified kingdom to Ylisse's north. Inhabited by barbarians, or so it's said," Sumia answered.

"Warriors are what they are, and we'll need their strength to quell this menace. Typically, the exalt would request such aid in person. But given recent events... Well, the people might worry should my sister suddenly leave the capital. So the task has been passed to us," Chrom explained the mission details. "Now, this mission is strictly voluntary except for Rachel. You have to come along for all our missions unless you are sick. You have to earn your keep as long as you're staying with us, especially since you're not fighting." After getting a nod from her, he turned back to the Shepherds. "So if, for any-"

"I volunteer!" Lissa piped up, cutting off her brother.

"Me too! You'll be needing old Teach along for such a delicate mission!" Vaike wanted in. A soft bark from Aqua which sounded suspiciously like a scoff was heard but since none of the Shepherds could understand her except for the other Pokemon, they paid it no heed. Rachel, on the other hand, knew from the tone that Aqua had bad-mouthed Vaike but wisely kept quiet, not wanting to cause a commotion. It did not stop her from sweating nervously though, something that Robin noticed. Thanks to that distraction, nobody heard someone else agreeing to go on the volunteer mission. Only the Pokemon did, staring at a tall man decked out completely in bulky armor and standing close by. How in the world did none of the humans spot him?

"I... I, um..." Sumia mumbled.

"Yes, Sumia?" Chrom encouraged the shy Shepherd to speak.

"It's just that... I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission just yet," she admitted. "I'd probably just get in the way."

"Well, you could stay behind the main group, and if a battle is met, just watch and learn?" he suggested. "Your choice, of course. But some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield."

"W-Well, if you think it wise, Captain."

"Just stay by me and you'll be fine."

"Oh, yes! I mean, yes, sir, I'll do that!" Sumia was overjoyed that she stumbled over her words a little.

"That is all. Have a good night's rest and be prepared to march tomorrow morning," Chrom dismissed the volunteering Shepherds from this group. He still had to ask the others who were not present for the mission briefing. "Sumia, show Rachel and Robin around the garrison. Make sure they remember where the important sections are." He then left with Lissa in tow, returning back to Ylisstol.

Sumia proceeded to show the two new additions around the garrison, making sure they knew the directions to the kitchen, the dining area, the bathing area, and the sleeping quarters. It turned out Sumia was just about as shy as Rachel was, and they hit it off quite well. Sumia admired that Rachel was already brave enough to travel to various lands at the young age of eleven. Rachel in turn was in awe that Sumia was prepared to lay down her life for her country and was proud to do so. Sumia admitted she was actually afraid but she knew it was a duty she swore to perform should that time come.

A soft call from Eclair quickly had Rachel asking if anything was the matter. A few calls and gestures with her head and Rachel got the message that she was not comfortable floating around in cramped spaces such as the inside of buildings. A gentle stroke down her neck gave her some small comfort as Rachel allowed her to exit the garrison from one of the holes in the building that served as lookout points.

"Eclair must have been uncomfortable in such a small building such as this when she's so long... I should have realized it a little earlier... I'm sorry," Sumia apologized for her thoughtlessness.

"I'm sure Eclair knows you didn't mean it. I'm more amazed you noticed her discomfort," Rachel told her.

"Yes, well... Since young, I've always been able to understand the feelings of animals," she said. "If I remember correctly, Pokemon are the animals that roam your homeland?"

"Right. It makes sense that you can understand Pokemon too. I believe you would be a very kind Pokemon trainer if you were from my homeland, Miss Sumia," Rachel told her confidently.

"Really? Thank you for that," Sumia blushed in slight embarrassment. "And please, call me Sumia. I'm not that much older than you."

"If it's alright with you, then thank you, Sumia."

"Rachel, can you tell me what a Pokemon trainer is?" Robin asked, intrigued by the word 'trainer'. She had remained quiet to sort out the information she had learned for the day.

"Pokemon trainers are people like me, travelers who roam the land with their Pokemon companions. That is just the starting point for various occupations. Some move on to become breeders or professors, people who study Pokemon to understand the various mysteries that surround them," Rachel explained, Sumia's eyes lightening up in wonder while Robin listened closely. "Majority are good people, and a small handful are exceptional trainers. Those with exceptional talent attempt the League Challenge, where they challenge Gym Leaders to earn their spot in the League. It's the most popular sport among trainers and their Pokemon."

"But don't the Pokemon get seriously hurt in this sport?" Sumia gasped.

"Unfortunately, serious injuries do happen on occasion," Rachel spoke with regret. "But most Pokemon do not mind doing battle with each other. Some enjoy the sport immensely and train hard for it. Please don't think badly of it. Trainers do need the Pokemon's permission to even do battle, after all. Mutual trust is very important for trainers and their Pokemon."

"You mean like a horse and its rider," Robin came up with a great example.

"Yes! Exactly like that! If a trainer forces a Pokemon to be under their command, they might rebel if they do not respect or trust their trainer. Even though Pokemon are technically animals, they are just as if not more intelligent than humans. Most if not all Pokemon are able to understand human speech but we are unable to understand their speech."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Sumia turned to look at the Pokemon with a fresh look of respect.

"No wonder Shadow was able to follow Chrom's commands so easily," Robin was just as amazed. She remembered last night during their time in the forest and how Shadow understood her strategy and successfully executed it without needing any supervision and when Chrom told him to back down to let Marth go.

"It's one of the many mysteries of Pokemon. Part of this mystery is that no matter the species, all Pokemon are able to understand each other's speech," Rachel finished her explanation of what she knew about general Pokemon knowledge. Robin put a curled finger to her chin and she looked skyward in deep thought. When she was done thinking, she turned to Rachel.

"Rachel, if I can have your permission, can I perhaps include the Pokemon as potential units?" Robin asked.

"You want them to fight?" Rachel exclaimed in shock.

"I completely understand your hesitation but their assistance might just mean saving the life of a Shepherd."

"I don't mean to come off as rude and uncaring, but isn't it your duty to come up with the proper strategies to prevent life-threatening situations for the Shepherds? If my Pokemon can be of assistance then of course we'll help, but please don't think of them as soldiers. I refuse to allow you to order them around as such! They aren't soldiers!" she defended her Pokemon, her apprehension very clear as she stood in front of them protectively. At her side, all her Pokemon were giving warning growls to Robin. She definitely got the message that they were not going to cooperate without Rachel's approval.

"I didn't mean to offend you and your Pokemon. I have to apologize for that," Robin grimaced, mentally berating herself for that oversight. "I did not take into account that you are very much a civilian. Fighting and tactics are all I know so far. I have forgotten what it was like to be a civilian, if I even was one."

"What do you mean, Lady Robin?" Rachel asked, her apprehension turning to confusion.

"Just Robin will do," she refused to be called Lady. "I have no memories of my past, actually. The first memory I can recall is Chrom, Lissa and Frederick finding me in the plains just before we met you in Southtown."

"Ah, I'm... I'm sorry..." Rachel felt terrible about thinking badly of Robin.

"It's quite alright. You didn't know, and this is a fresh start for me," Robin replied. "I'll do my best to provide Chrom and the Shepherds with strategies that will keep all of them alive. But if things do not go as planned, can your Pokemon provide the assistance needed so we can keep everyone alive and well?"

"Of course we'll be glad to help!" This time, Robin got supportive calls from the Pokemon.

"Thank you, all of you. Your power will be a great help."

For the rest of the day, Robin explored the garrison while Sumia excused herself to return home to get proper rest for the march next morning. Frederick came to pick Rachel up for training for her handmaiden duties. He was pleased to find out that she had done her fair share of domestic duties in her younger years until he realized that she was unfamiliar with the steps of certain tasks that she claimed she had done before. She explained that in her homeland, there were already inventions in place to aid with such duties, inventions that were missing in Ylisse. He had to teach her how to do the tasks the Ylissean way, so to speak. He was impressed that she stayed firm and did all her tasks without complaint.

When he praised her for it, he was slightly saddened to hear that she believed she had no right to complain in the first place, being a mere servant in a group full of soldiers. Frederick assured her that she would not be punished for speaking out if she had been wronged and the Shepherds were honorable people who would not abuse the common folk. Of course, he expected discipline from her and failure to perform her duties without proper reason would get her punishment. Punishment that the common employer would give his misbehaving worker, and not torture if she believed that.

*****Break Line*****

The next morning, Chrom arrived at the garrison and was rounding up the Shepherds who had volunteered for the diplomatic mission.

"Is everyone ready? We've a long march ahead," Chrom said once roll call was over. He then remembered that Rachel was to come along for all his missions and had forgotten to include her in the roll call. "Has anyone seen Rachel?" he asked when he did not spot her anywhere.

"She's currently changing in the garrison, milord," Frederick answered. "I have given her a change of clothes since her previous set of clothes were showing too much skin."

"It was?" Chrom blinked in confusion.

"Her skirt, milord. It is far too short. I fear even a slight gust of wind will be enough to reveal her smallclothes."

Robin and Sumia blushed in embarrassment for Rachel. They too had not really noticed anything particular wrong with her clothes until Frederick revealed that tidbit of information. Sully only laughed, praising Rachel for wearing a 'daring' set of clothes and finding amusement at the other two girls' embarrassment.

"W-Wait for me!" a male voice cried out, and a man in green armor dashed out of the garrison's entrance followed by Rachel and her Pokemon. Rachel's new clothes were what the common womenfolk wore: a dull yellow and brown one-piece dress that ended at her knees. The only accessories she kept from her old set of clothes were her sunhat, wristbands, socks, Running Shoes, and her travel bag.

"Stahl?" Chrom identified the man.

"Why am I the last to hear about this expedition to Ferox? If Rachel here didn't tell me, I would have been left behind!" Stahl whined.

"Huh? Vaike was supposed to..." Lissa explained before glowering at the mentioned man. "Vaike! Did you forget to tell Stahl about our mission?"

"The Vaike never forgets!" Vaike denied. "...I just don't always remember, is all..."

"Ugh... I swear, you'd forget your own name if you weren't constantly saying it yourself! Speaking of which, are you _sure _you remembered your axe this time?"

"Hey! That was one time! ...Okay, twice, but training sessions don't count. Anyway, I got it right here. Teach is loaded and ready for action!" he gestured proudly to the axe strapped to his back. "Glad to have you along, Stahl, old buddy."

"That makes one of us. I was in such a hurry, I had to miss breakfast!" Stahl complained. "There were muffins, and cakes, and... Well, I can tell you all about it while we march..."

"I can go get some for you if you wish, Stahl," Rachel spoke up, preparing to hurry back to the garrison's kitchen to grab some food for the hungry Shepherd. Rachel had just changed into the clothes Frederick told her to wear when they met in the kitchen. Despite being told she was a handmaiden, Stahl kindly told her she did not need to be formal with him. It was then he asked where the other Shepherds were and she told him they were just about to leave for the mission to Regna Ferox.

"Oh, you will?" Stahl's face lit up. "Then, please get me-" Frederick's loud clearing of his throat and a stern look directed towards the younger knight silenced his request. "On the other hand, I think it's okay if I miss breakfast this one time..."

"Don't be complacent just because we now have a handmaiden, Stahl," Frederick advised.

"Yes sir..." he nodded, feeling rather depressed at missing his second chance for breakfast.

"Your name is Stahl, right?" Robin approached him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Robin. This is Stahl, one of our finest," Chrom introduced Stahl.

"Hello, Robin. Miriel told me we had a new Shepherd," Stahl gave a small greeting. "Er, Miriel's one of our mages. She should catch up soon."

Doing one last roll call and including Rachel and her Pokemon this time, Chrom noticed the serpent Pokemon was missing.

"ECLAIR!" Rachel cupped her hands around her mouth to make herself a little louder as she shouted towards the garrison rooftop. A loud call from Eclair answered her call as she revealed herself and floated down towards Rachel. For a moment, all the Shepherds had a look of awe as they watched her descend from the morning sky.

"She's... beautiful..." Sumia breathed out.

"It's almost like Eclair carries an air of grace and majesty of her own," Frederick remarked, being the first to put aside his awe.

"Good morning, Eclair. Did you have a good sleep?" Rachel stroked Eclair's neck lovingly as she snuggled into her trainer's touch.

"Are we all ready?" Chrom asked. Getting an unanimous nod from all the participating Shepherds plus one handmaiden and her Pokemon, he looked forward with firm determination. "Then let's march! Onward to Regna Ferox!"

*****Break Line*****

While their morning march was peaceful and uneventful, the same could not be said for their afternoon march. On what was known to the Ylisseans as the Northroad, the undead monsters from last night in the forest had showed up again and were roaming the area.

"Gods, have the Risen spread this far?" Chrom cursed as he spotted the front of the undead group from the horizon. It appeared they did not spot the Shepherds, or they did not care for their presence unless approached.

"'Risen'?" Robin repeated, confused by the term.

"We needed a name for this new threat, so the council gave them one," Frederick answered.

"Everyone, remember what we're up against!" Chrom cautioned, having briefed the Shepherds about the Risen earlier during the morning march. Vaike only laughed in response.

"They'll remember _me _once I drive my axe into their-" his proud boasting suddenly ceased when his hand grabbed thin air where his axe was supposed to be strapped to his back. "Wait... My axe. Where's my axe? I had it a second ago!"

"Vaike, this is no time for jokes..." Chrom sighed.

"I'm serious! It's gone, but I _just _had it!" he insisted. "It's got to be around here somewhere..." He bent down and started searching through the grass for his weapon.

"Keep to the rear, then! The battle is nigh!" As they began preparing for battle, a woman with a cone hat came running towards them... and hoisting an axe with some difficulty.

"Whoa! My axe!" Vaike exclaimed, running towards the woman.

"I wondered what manner of ignoramus would mislay their weapon. Now I know," the woman said.

"Thanks, Miriel! ...Er, for the axe, anyway," he gave his thanks with some confusion as he did not get what Miriel was trying to say.

"Perhaps next time I'll use a spell to fasten it to your hands... permanently," she half-warned half-threatened as she got to her own preparations for the impending battle.

*****Break Line*****

"What now, Robin? Guide our swords," Chrom said as Robin went through several simulations in her head as she looked over the map of the terrain and mumbling to herself.

"Might I advise patience, milord?" Frederick stepped in. "Robin is a fine tactician, but we have been working her mercilessly."

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry," he apologized to Robin who merely nodded her acknowledgement and returned to pondering over the best strategy to go about this hurdle. It had been over thirty minutes and he had been pushing her for a strategy several times already.

"Perhaps you would prefer we choose our own actions at times?" Frederick asked Robin. That snapped her out of her intense pondering.

"I highly suggest we don't do that. I might be able to 'see' what going's on in the battlefield such as the flow of battle and identifying an enemy's weakness and capabilities but I'd rather have complete information such as enemy numbers before I decide on what I believe to be the best course of action," she replied. "Right now, all I have is just a glimpse of the enemy, and that's just the very front. If only I could scout a little further in... I just need a little more information..." She bit her bottom lip in slight anxiety as she was troubled by this issue.

"Should we request the aid of Rachel and her Pokemon then?" Frederick suggested.

"I'd rather not involve them if I can help it," Robin shook her head in disagreement before eventually sighing in resignation. "They shouldn't have to fight as this isn't their battle to fight in. But she has offered to lend assistance should we need it."

"I'm sure if it's simple scouting, they can handle it," Chrom said.

"I know they can. The Pokemon are smart, but we can't understand them. They might get the information I need to ensure our success but how will we get it from them?"

"We should hear Rachel's opinion about this, then. Seeing as she's their keeper, she must know how to direct her Pokemon better. She might be able to give us more options to work with," Frederick suggested again.

"Very well," Robin rolled up the map and proceeded to the convoy to get Rachel and her Pokemon's assistance. If a battle was coming, Rachel was assigned as the convoy guard to prevent thieves and the such from raiding their supplies. It was the least likely to be targeted, so she would be safe. In case of any attempted attacks, her Pokemon would be there to guard her and the supplies. "Rachel, I believe we need your assistance," Robin said as she approached the back of the convoy.

"Yes?" Rachel pulled aside the curtain to see what Robin needed. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"A battle with Risen is about to begin but I can't decide on a proper strategy because I lack certain information. I require help getting it," Robin summarized quickly as she showed Rachel the map of the terrain. "Right now, we are here," she pointed to the bottom of the map. "I suspect the Risen are barricading the bridge and using it as a choke point. The only uncertain factor is their numbers. From the glimpse we can see of them from here, their front lines look thin enough for a simple frontal assault but there's also a risk of a horde of them in the lines further back where we simply can't see them. All I need is the confirmation of their numbers."

"So, um, you need help to see further in?" Rachel asked, her face full of uncertainty.

"Yes. I need assistance with scouting," Robin nodded. Rachel looked at the map again and Robin noticed her eyes seemed focused on the bridge. "Does the bridge bring something to mind?"

"This is a stream or a river, right?" she traced her finger over the blue parts of the map that spread out from the bridge.

"Yes, it is a small river," she nodded.

"Okay, I think we can be of assistance," Rachel nodded firmly. "Eclair!" The mentioned Pokemon came forward and waited for commands. "Eclair, I want you to take Robin for a ride and scout the enemy. Be careful not to get spotted, so fly as high as you can as long as Robin can see the land perfectly." Eclair nodded to show that she understood her orders. "Also, please listen to what Robin says, okay? It's very important."

"Thank you, Rachel, Eclair. Your assistance is greatly appreciated," Robin thanked them. Eclair floated out of the convoy and low enough so Robin could hop on her.

"Just tell Eclair which direction you need her to fly," Rachel told her. "Eclair's a very smooth flyer when she isn't fighting, so you'll be safe on her. If you need a grip, just wrap your arms below the jewel on her neck. But please, not too tightly! I don't want you to accidentally strangle her."

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you again, both of you."

"You're welcome. Please be careful!" Rachel waved them off as Eclair took Robin back to the front lines.

"It appears she's agreed to help," Chrom said when he saw them approaching.

"Be prepared to engage in ten minutes. I should not take much longer than that to get the information I need," Robin told him as she directed Eclair to fly. Just like Rachel said, Eclair glided so smoothly through the air that she had no problems steadily jotting down the enemy numbers and position on the map. When they returned, Robin had prepared the perfect strategy. This battle would be theirs for the taking.

*****Break Line*****

With proper coordination, a frontal assault was more than enough to take down the Risen's front lines. When they arrived at the bridge however, it was just as Robin predicted. The Risen from the rear lines were attracted by the commotion of the earlier fights and had gathered before the bridge. The bridge was only wide enough to allow four combatants to fight without any restrictions to their movements. Any more would be a hindrance. As mindless as they appeared to be, it seemed the Risen were also aware of the lack of space to fight on and did not step foot on the bridge. Both sides were now at a standstill. Only Virion was able to attack from the other side of the river, but he could not take out all of them with his limited supply of arrows.

"We need a distraction to draw their attention away from the bridge," Robin quickly drew up a solution, but with no way to execute it. There was nothing left but a frontal charge, but it was too risky for the ones leading it. They were in danger of being overwhelmed in an instant the moment they got on the bridge as she knew defending the exit was far easier than forcing their way through.

"We can't charge in because it's too risky, and we can't swim across the river because we'll get jumped on before we even reach the other side! Darn it!" Sully grumbled, frustrated at the situation.

Almost as if something was answering her frustrations, two loud splashes were heard coming from opposite sides of the bridge. The Shepherds saw Aqua and Eclair poking their heads out from the surface of the river. They immediately opened fire by shooting large rings of water from their mouths, bursting violently on impact. **(Water Pulse) **After a few shots, they retreated back into the river. None of the Risen were defeated, but they were all wet. That was not what surprised the Shepherds, though. Some of the Risen were killing off their own in a fit of rage! **(Confuse status)**

"Now's our chance! Charge!" Robin grabbed the opportunity the Pokemon gave her. Being assaulted on both fronts, the Risen were quickly dispatched. Their Chief soon followed the same fate.

*****Break Line*****

"Finally, and good riddance!" Chrom wiped the sweat off his forehead in satisfaction. "But if they're appearing this far up the Northroad..."

"Then no path is safe," Frederick concluded. "We'll need to stay wary." Both men watched with pleased looks as Lissa, Robin and Sumia were showering praises on Aqua and Eclair.

There was a bottled message on Eclair for Robin from Rachel. Rachel had sent Aqua and Eclair ahead because Robin had mentioned her worries about the bridge. They had been told to assist if the Shepherds were in trouble when they arrived there. Robin smiled at Rachel's foresight, now realizing why she had been scrutinizing the river and asking about it when she was shown the map. Her occupation as a Pokemon trainer was not simply about travelling like Robin had first believed. She had to give her thanks when they were able to resume their march again to Regna Ferox.

*****End of Chapter*****

**Author's Note: My friend read the reviews this story got and insisted I explain why I did certain things. The most common issue is why I used the Eeveelutions instead of a variety of different Pokemon to make a 'proper' team. I've got three reasons for this.**

**First reason I have already mentioned in the author's note of the first chapter. I don't want any overly huge Pokemon in this story, and there are far too many already existing. As for variety, the Eeveelutions plus Dragonair cover much more than you might think. Not taking the game mechanics into account, these seven Pokemon are already covering the bases for worldly travels. You need campfire? Flareon is there to help start the fire. You need to travel over water? Vaporeon is there to surf with. You need light in a dark cave? Jolteon is there to give a flash. You need a guide under a moonless night? Umbreon is there with its ability to see clearly in the dark. Something blocking your way but you don't have the strength to push it aside? Espeon is there to telepathically move it. Feeling a little too hot under the noon sun? Glaceon is there to cool you off. You need flight? Dragonair is there for you to ride on. See? Bases covered. The game mechanics only makes you think they can't when they naturally can.**

**Second reason is because they are easily identifiable. The nicknames I gave the Eeveelutions are so obvious as to which one they are. Readers won't get confused at all. The only non-obvious nickname obviously belongs to Dragonair.**

**Third reason is because I have the impression that Fire Emblem Awakening has a lot of emphasis on family. You know, pairing up, building relationships, then future child travels back in time to help? I feel the Shepherds are actually one big group of families. And when I think of family in Pokemon terms, I think of evolutionary lines. For example, all starter Pokemon have three family members. Those with branching evolutions, such as Ralts to Kirlia to Gardevoir/Gallade, count as four family members. If you think of it this way, which Pokemon has the biggest family? Eevee and its Eeveelutions, of course! I hope you can understand my choice now.**

**A thing to note is that Robin's intelligence and talent for strategies might be a little downplayed. My reasoning is that technically, you as the player are Robin, overseeing the entire battlefield and issuing the commands. To give this story a more real feeling, assume you are playing the game for the first time and going through it without a guide. How would you know which battlefield has enemy reinforcements coming and when they would arrive or if there are any traps laying about? That's right, you can't. You can only adjust your strategy when they do arrive or the trap has been sprung. This mindset is what I'm trying to go by when I made Robin have some difficulty in deciding a strategy. ****As for the whole 'I-can-see-the-entire-battlefield-before-the-fight-even-starts' phenomena, let's keep things a little real here. You really need scouting for that kind of information unless the battlefield is small enough you can see everything around you. That's why I gave Robin some hesitation for the battle which we all know is actually very straight-forward.**

**Rachel is no longer wearing her default outfit from the FireRed/LeafGreen games. She is now wearing the outfit of the Fire Emblem Awakening village maiden. Just replace the pink cloth over the hair with the original sunhat and her hair let down.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you like it, please Follow/Favorite/Review this story! Big thanks for those who do!**


	3. Chapter 3

After the battle, Lissa tended to everyone's wounds while Rachel and Sumia helped by handing out vulneraries. Just as they were about to resume their march to Regna Ferox after a sufficient amount of rest, a loud and rather distressed neighing was heard.

"Well, what do we have here?" Robin spotted a rare sight coming to rest in the grassy plains.

"Hey, is that what I think it is?" Lissa asked excitedly.

"It's a pegasus, alright," Chrom confirmed, but the pegasus appeared unwell as its wings were slumped at its sides. It was properly equipped with armor, so its previous rider must have had perished at the hands of the Risen that were roaming the Northroad earlier. "I think it's hurt. Let's just have a look here..." When he got close, the pegasus suddenly gained a burst of energy and raised its front legs threateningly, making him take a step back. "WHOA! Down, girl! Easy there!"

"Captain, one moment!" Sumia cried out. As she ran towards them, she tripped and fell flat on her face, hard.

"Sumia! Are you alright?" Chrom asked, worried for his fellow Shepherd before relaxing. "...Those boots of yours again?" he sighed.

"No!" she denied, inadvertently revealing that she had tripped on nothing. "I mean, yes! I mean..." she sighed miserably, her self-esteem taking yet another hit at her own clumsiness.

"Well, come no closer. This beast is crazed!"

"It's okay, Captain. I can handle this..." she slowly started approaching the wild pegasus. "Shh... Easy now, girl. I won't hurt you." Once she felt it had calmed down, she stood next to it and gently stroked its mane and head. "Shhh..."

"How did she calm it so quickly?" he wondered.

"That's incredible, Sumia!" Lissa praised.

"I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh, it's... it's nothing. Really. I just have a way with animals, I guess," Sumia replied modestly, blushing a little from the praise.

"I should say so!" Chrom was pleased for her.

"You all go on ahead," she said. "I'll dress her wounds and catch up as soon as we're able."

"We can make time to wait for you."

"Thank you, Captain. But I can manage. Every moment is precious when all of Ylisse is in danger."

"Right, then. Be safe, Sumia."

"As you command, sir."

To show some consideration to Sumia, Chrom had Rachel give her the medical supplies she needed to tend to the wounds of the pegasus before they would continue their march.

"Sumia, will you really be okay all alone with the pegasus?" Rachel asked, worried for her friend. "What if those Risen attack again after we leave?"

"I don't know..." Sumia admitted. "But I have faith that everyone did a very good job in destroying all the Risen in this area."

"But just in case, I'll leave Espy with you. She can help with healing the pegasus if my guess is right."

"She can?" Sumia was pleasantly surprised.

"Yes, please allow us to help."

"By all means. Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome!"

*****Break Line*****

Rachel had returned back to the convoy when Chrom ordered the march. Just as they left, Espy hopped out of the convoy and approached Sumia, giving a call in greeting before it settled in a relaxed seated position in front of the pegasus. Sumia watched with a puzzled expression as Espy started to speak to the pegasus. To her surprise, the pegasus actually replied back with soft neighing and grunting. Espy nodded as if she understood what it was saying and held up her left paw. It was a bigger surprise to Sumia when the pegasus actually lowered its head in submission as it allowed Espy to touch it.

"You can understand other animals too, Espy?" Sumia gasped in awe. Rachel had told her that Pokemon could all talk to one another regardless of species, but she did not know they could communicate with the animals that preceded them. Once again, she was amazed at how intelligent the Pokemon were. Espy turned her head to nod at her inquiry before turning back, removing her paw from the pegasus. She closed her eyes and concentrated, a white light beginning to envelop her. Once the light had brightened to a certain amount, she opened her eyes and released it into the sky. Her job seemingly done, she walked over to Sumia's side and laid herself down like she was about to take a nap. She purred in satisfaction when Sumia scratched her head, causing the young woman to giggle. Two minutes later, Espy opened one eye as she watched the white light she released earlier start to descend on the pegasus. Sumia saw it too, and watched it curiously. She observed closely as it dispersed and sprinkled itself like powder over the pegasus. She gasped in shock when its wounds began to close by themselves. When the sprinkling light was used up, the healing also stopped. **(Wish)** Checking over the pegasus again, she realized roughly half of them had been healed.

"That's amazing..." Sumia was nearly speechless at the display. "Espy, can you do that healing again?" She was surprised when Espy shook her head. "Why not?" Espy only glanced at her disinterestedly. "Ah, I'm sorry..." Sumia blushed in embarrassment when she realized she had asked a question that she would not understand the answer to because it would be lost in translation. "Then, is it because you can only do it once?" Espy shook her head. "It won't work a second time?" Another shake. "You don't want to do it again?" She got a nod this time. "Why?" She blushed heavily when she received the flat look that told her she had asked something stupid. "S-Sorry..." She felt even worse that a Pokemon, an animal by all rights, knew how to give that particular look.

Sumia dressed the remaining wounds of the pegasus as she thought about why Espy refused to use her healing powers for a second time. She did not believe Espy would refuse out of malice or plain laziness. She concluded that there had been to be a good reason why she refused. She felt relieved when Espy nodded to that, and that Rachel knew the reason why. After an hour of rest for the pegasus, it was fit enough to fly Sumia the rest of the way to Regna Ferox. When it was time to leave, Espy sat in front of Sumia and snuggled comfortably into a resting position against her stomach. Sumia understood that Espy trusted her to keep her from falling off as they flew. As they approached the Longfort that stretched along the border of Ylisse and Regna Ferox, Sumia spotted a troubling situation ahead. The Shepherds were positioned for battle and the Feroxi Guard were mobilized to defend the fort.

"Oh no! Captain!" Sumia screamed when she saw the Feroxi guards pull their arms back to throw their spears at Chrom. "Hurry!" she urged her pegasus to speed up. She felt Espy stir from where she had been resting and though she looked relaxed, she saw her eyes glow with the blue light that stopped her from falling when she first saw the Pokemon at the garrison.

*****Break Line*****

Chrom reeled back in a feeble attempt to defend himself from the thrown spears aimed to impale him to the snow-covered ground when he suddenly felt himself lose control of his body. He yelped when he felt himself get yanked skyward, his body flying through the air and enveloped in a blue light. **(Psychic)** He stared in stunned silence as he saw the spear-riddled ground where he once stood. Believing it was a good decision not to resist whatever it was that moved him, he was surprised when he was placed on the back of a pegasus with a familiar person riding it.**  
**

"Sumia?" Chrom was surprised to see her back so soon. A Pokemon call directed his attention to Espy who was seated in front of Sumia. "Espy? Was that you earlier?" he asked, referring to the blue light that saved his life. She nodded to his inquiry and he returned it with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"Better hold on tight, Captain," Sumia told him, all traces of her shyness gone from her demeanor. "Could get bumpy."

"Uh... Right."

"You'll be fine," she turned back to him and gave him a soft yet confident smile. For the first time since he had known Sumia and the countless smiles she had given him, Chrom felt his heart speed up. Something had changed about her when he was not aware, and he began looking at her in a new light. His honed instincts snapped him out of his stunned gaze when it warned him of danger.

"Sumia!" he warned, drawing Falchion from its sheath.

"Right!" she directed her pegasus to return to where the Shepherds were waiting with bated yet relieved breaths.

"Milord/Chrom!" both Frederick and Lissa ran towards them as Chrom as he dismounted from Sumia's newly gained pegasus.

"I'm fine," he reassured them. "I have to thank Sumia and Espy for saving my life."

"I suppose you'll be serving as a Pegasus Knight, Sumia?" Frederick asked Sumia.

"Yes, I will," Sumia nodded. "I am ready to fight with the others now."

"Sumia, Espy, thank you so much!" Lissa hugged Sumia for a moment before doing the same with Espy.

"I'm so relieved I made it in time," she replied.

"That goes double for me, Sumia!" Chrom said, looking at the pegasus again. After seeing the bandages around parts of its body, he was shocked as he recognized it. "And this... Is this the same ornery pegasus we met on the road?"

"Oh, she's a sweetheart, isn't she?" she giggled. "...Once you really get to know her..."

"Well, many thanks to you both and Espy," he turned to address Espy as well but she was already making her way back to the convoy.

"I believe most of the thanks should go to Espy," Sumia modestly replied. "If it wasn't for her healing ability, I fear I would have never made it in time."

"Is that so? But still, the three of you saved me and you have my thanks for that."

"I think the pegasus is blushing!" Lissa giggled.

"And I think we all had best focus on the situation at hand!" Frederick interrupted.

"Chrom, they're coming!" Robin warned when Feroxi troops started to approach from two fortress doors, one from the west and the other from the east, beginning to form a pincer formation.

"All right. The Feroxi way it is!" Chrom gave his permission to engage in combat.

"Phila said pegasi can fly far afield, but they're highly vulnerable to arrows," Sumia recalled the lessons the Pegasus Knight captain had given her as the Shepherds made their final preparations. "Don't worry, girl. I'll watch out for archers for both our sakes!" she reassured her pegasus.

"Alright, here's the plan!" Robin called for the Shepherds' attention. "Right now, the Feroxi are planning to trap us in a pincer formation. To combat this, we cannot stick together as one large group. If we stay here, we'll have no option for retreat if we need it. If we all charge towards one side, the convoy will be in danger."

"Aren't the Pokemon there to provide protection for Rachel and the convoy?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, but they are only there in case of any sudden attempts to raid our supplies and we cannot attend to it in time. Remember Chrom, Rachel is under our protection and her Pokemon are not soldiers to be commanded. At best, they are volunteers if assistance is required. Capable as they are, we cannot simply rely on them just because we can. We'd be breaking our word that we would protect her if we did that," Robin answered.

"How about putting the convoy in the middle as we all charge towards one side?" he suggested.

"That's no good," Robin disagreed. "The horses that transport the convoy cannot gallop as they're pulling a huge weight along. We'll be slowed down and eventually get trapped on two sides if we are too slow in taking down the soldiers we are charging towards. In addition, the battlefield advantage belongs to them. We cannot focus all our power carelessly in one direction."

"What are our directives, then?" Frederick asked.

"First, we will split our forces into two and confront the Feroxi soldiers directly before their pincer formation can be completed. We cannot allow that to happen. Lissa will stay behind with Rachel in the convoy which will remain here. If anyone gets hurt, retreat back to this location so Lissa can heal you or if you require resupplying," Robin gave her strategy. "Any questions? Is anyone unsure of what they have to do?" When everyone shook their head, Chrom gave the order to engage.

*****Break Line*****

Robin smiled in satisfaction despite being in the heat of battle. The look of shock on the Feroxi soldier's face was priceless, undoubtedly because they did not expect her strategy of meeting them head-on. She supposed their mindset that the Shepherds were simple brigands helped in that regard. When the Shepherds showed their finesse in combat, they could not regroup in time and swiftly fell to their blades. Chrom at first wanted to avoid any deaths in this skirmish as it was merely a misunderstanding, but was forced to give the order to kill when the Feroxi refused to surrender to 'brigands' despite being clearly outmatched. When the Shepherds tried to move on without killing them, they attacked them again with their backup weapons, forcing Frederick to claim the first kill of the battle.

When they managed to clear all the soldiers on their side, they were left stuck in front of the fortress door. It was locked but there was a keyhole, which meant one of these dead men was holding the key. Not wanting to desecrate the dead, Robin reluctantly gave the order to search the bodies for a key but to leave everything else they owned behind. Frederick was the one who found the key and handed it over to her. She supposed the other door had a similar key for it and a new strategy that required coordination from both teams came to mind.

"Sumia!" Robin called for the new Pegasus Knight.

"Yes, Robin?" Sumia flew towards her. "How can I help?"

"Return to the convoy and hand these to Rachel," she handed over two pieces of parchment written with instructions. She had prepared for long-distance communication and always brought parchments of paper with her in case she needed to deliver messages around the battlefield. "Once Rachel and her Pokemon has delivered the other message, return here immediately."

"I'm on my way," Sumia took off for her given task and hastily returned to the convoy.

"Sumia! Do you need healing?" Lissa asked when she descended to them.

"Yes, please," her armor was scratched in a few close shaves with archers and javelin throwers. Some of the wounds on her pegasus had reopened when it was forced to make strenuous movements to avoid the deadly projectiles. Despite the efforts of the others to distract them, they still took potshots at her, dead set on taking at least one of them down even at the cost of their lives. "Oh, yes. I have a message from Robin to Rachel."

At hearing her name being called, Rachel stepped out of the convoy to see if she was needed. Sumia passed her the parchment addressed to her with Robin's instructions. Seeing the hurt pegasus and reading the instructions, Rachel figured Robin needed the Pokemon's assistance to deliver a message to the other side of the battlefield. Robin had reasoned on the parchment that she did not want to waste any of the Shepherd's stamina running back and forth. She paused to think about which Pokemon should deliver the message. Considering the cold weather and the heavy wind, she decided one suited for the environment was better than the fastest one.

"Glacy!" she called. Glacy hopped out of the convoy and approached Rachel eagerly, almost like she wanted to play. The cold, snowy weather did wonders for her mood as it was her favorite weather to be out and about in. "Glacy, I need you to give this message to the Shepherds fighting over there, okay?" She nodded and accepted the bottle Rachel placed the parchment in. It was the same bottle as the one from the earlier battle with Risen. Rachel had tied a secure loop with strings at the bottle's neck and fashioned it into a pendant so she could hang it around her Pokemon's neck for convenience. Glacy gave a call of acknowledgement before taking off into the battlefield to deliver the message.

"Thank you, Rachel, for leaving me with Espy," Sumia thanked her as she approached, having finished being healed by Lissa.

"You're very welcome," Rachel replied.

"Truly, Espy helped a lot by healing my pegasus. For some reason, she refused to heal it completely. I asked if you knew why she refused, and she nodded."

"It's not a good idea to use a Pokemon's abilities to heal all the time because it's artificial healing," she answered.

"Artificial healing?" Sumia repeated.

"Yes. It weakens the natural endurance and resistance of the recipient's body, or the Pokemon itself if it's healing itself. It's like using medicine all the time to cure yourself of a cold. With just a bit of rest and eating healthy food such as fruits, your body can naturally heal itself of a cold. If you use too much medicine, your body will grow weak."

"I understand now. Espy was thinking about the pegasus too when she refused to heal her further." As they made some small talk among the three of them, Glacy returned with an empty bottle, her task complete. "I think it's time I return to the battlefield. Robin told me to return when the message has been delivered."

"Be safe! Give the others my best wishes too!" Rachel waved her off.

"I'll spread the word!" Sumia promised as she flew off.

*****Break Line*****

When Robin saw Sumia return, she prepared herself for combat again. It was time to continue the battle. Charging up a Thunder, she fired it straight up into the air where it exploded into a shower of sparks. Chrom nodded and hastily opened the fortress door on his side.

*****Break Line*****

"It's time, you guys! Charge!" Sully yelled as Virion opened the fortress door on her side. With a war cry, she led her group into the upper section of the Longfort. The Feroxi soldiers had been prepared to intercept at first, but the complete silence that lasted for ten minutes had them feeling a false sense of security. They were swiftly killed and per Robin's orders, they made their way to the center where the leader of the border guard awaited. Along the way, they caught sight of the other Shepherd team and the leader.

"Wow, I knew Chrom made Robin our tactician, but I never expected her to be able to do this!" Stahl said, full of praise for Robin. "Instead of us being the target of a pincer formation, she made _them _the target with our own pincer formation!"

"Yeah, she sure is one fine piece of work!" Sully agreed. "Now all that's left is the leader."

"Let our battle sound out the truth of your words!" Raimi declared as she stared everyone down. Despite being outnumbered, she never wavered. But alas, she too was defeated. "Then your claims were... true..." she groaned out when she was knocked down, disarmed and defeated. Only her battle armor saved her life, which all her soldiers lacked.

"Here, drink this," Chrom offered her a vulnerary to heal her wounds just enough so that she would not die from her injuries. She gratefully accepted the show of mercy and drank it. Feeling some of her wounds disappear, she was well enough to at least stand without any trouble.

"A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom. I truly took you for brigand impostors," Raimi bowed in apology, her face etched with shame and remorse. "But no frauds could ever wage a battle as you just have! I will send word of your arrival to the capital and escort you there personally."

"That would be most appreciated, thank you," Chrom replied.

"Amazing. Her whole demeanor changed," Robin mentioned as Raimi left to get one of her soldiers that did not participate in the battle to deliver the word that Chrom sought an audience with the khans.

"In Ferox, strength speaks louder than words," Frederick explained. "I should have known better than to overestimate the value of diplomacy here..."

"So can we get going, Chrom?" Lissa asked. She was more than eager to get out of the snowstorm, even though she had been sufficiently warmed up during her time in the convoy thanks to Blaze.

"Yes, it's not getting any warmer," Chrom agreed.

*****Break Line*****

"Prince Chrom, please wait here while I summon the khan," Raimi said when they arrived at the Feroxi palace.

"Of course," Chrom replied. She bowed in respect to him and took her leave.

"The khan is away?" Robin asked.

"Out training, I'd wager. The khans of Ferox prefer battle to politics. Or rather, battle _is _their politics."

"A warrior ruler, eh?" Robin had a grotesque image of the khans in her mind. "I can picture him now... A giant of a man with unparalleled thew, his broad chest covered in hair..." She then laughed awkwardly at the silly mental image.

"Am I now? ...Please, do go on!" a woman's fierce voice rang throughout the hall.

"Huh?" Robin exclaimed.

"You're the-!" Chrom yelped before quickly recomposing himself. "Er, that is to say... The khan, I presume?"

"One of them, yes... The East-Khan. My name is Flavia," she introduced herself. "I apologize for the troubles at the border, Prince Chrom. You are welcome in Regna Ferox."

"Thank you, but I'm confident we can put that misunderstanding between us. Is it true bandits posing as Ylisseans have been ransacking your border villages?"

"Yes. Those Plegian dogs!" she snarled. "We found documents proving as much on the corpse of one of their captains. Plegia must see some benefit in raising tensions between your kingdom and ours."

"Damn them!" he spat before realizing how rude he was at that moment. "I... Forgive me, Your Grace. That was... indelicately put."

"Ha! Damn them and damn delicacy!" she laughed. "Here in Ferox, we appreciate plain speech."

"In that case, you should have a word with your damn border guards..." he muttered.

"...Ha! Now that's Feroxi diplomacy! Yes, I like you already. I know why you have come, Prince. But regrettably, I cannot provide any Feroxi troops for Ylisse."

"What! Why not!" Lissa exclaimed.

"I lack the authority," Flavia shrugged.

"Forgive me, but I don't understand. Aren't you the khan?" Chrom asked.

"As I said, I am _one _of the khans," she emphasized the number. "In Ferox, the khans of east and west hold a tournament every few years. The victor acquires total sovereignty over both kingdoms. And that means they have the final say when it comes to forging alliances. The West-Khan won the last tournament, you see, and so..."

"So we are to receive no aid at all?" he sighed in disappointment.

"Not if you always give up so easily! The next tournament is nigh, you see, and I am in need of champions."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"The captain of my border guard informs me your Shepherds are quite capable. Perhaps you would consider representing the East in the upcoming tournament? If you win and I become ruling khan, I will grant your alliance."

"I would have assumed Ylisseans had no place in Feroxi traditions."

"Ha! On the contrary. The khans themselves do not fight. They choose champions to represent them. Otherwise our land would be rife with blood feuds and dead khans! We don't involve comrades or kin for the same reason. Over time, it was decided the tournament should be fought by outsiders. Although the outsiders have never included foreign loyalty. ...That I know of! Ha! Regardless, it is your choice to make."

"There is no choice, East-Khan. My people are desperate. We face not only Plegia's constant attacks, but now the added threat of the Risen. If fighting for you is the quickest way to an alliance, then we will take up our steel," Chrom agreed to lend his aid.

"Oh, I like you, Prince Chrom. I do hope you survive the tournament!" she laughed heartily. "Come. I'll show you where the tournament is held. But be wary! I hear an equally capable swordsman champions the West-Khan."

"He shall be defeated by Ylisse's necessity," he said with complete confidence.

"Well spoken again. I look forward to seeing if you're equally skilled with a blade! Before we go, I do have a curiosity about your battle at the Longfort that I must have answered."

"I will answer what I can."

"What exactly saved you when Raimi ordered the first attack?" She narrowed her eyes when Chrom, Robin and Lissa suddenly became nervous.

"I apologize, but what saved me was merely a volunteer force that is under the Shepherd's protection. They are not part of us, and are not soldiers to be commanded," Chrom gave an honest answer as best as he could without revealing the Pokemon's identity.

"And I suppose a purple cat riding with a Pegasus Knight dragged you away to safety with magical powers," Flavia revealed.

"That's..." Now he had no answer to help cover the Pokemon.

"I should warn you, Prince Chrom. We Feroxi people may not practice it much, but we know what magic is. What saved you was clearly not magic. It is not even close to the hexes and curses practiced by Plegian Dark Mages. I wager it is more akin to witchcraft, a forbidden branch of magic all three of our kingdoms avoid like the plague. Forgive me for my suspicions, but unless I see for myself that it is not witchcraft, I will not entertain your request of an alliance."

"Rachel will not like this, Chrom..." Robin told him worriedly.

"I know, but..." Chrom looked to Lissa and Frederick for any sort of help. Lissa only gave him a helpless look while Frederick merely stood as still as a statue though there was a visible frown on his face.

"Well?" Flavia pushed for an answer.

"...Alright, East-Khan. I'll bring them to you," Chrom submitted. He had to risk breaking his promise to Rachel, but prayed she would understand that he had to do such a thing for the sake of Ylisse. "Robin, Lissa, bring Rachel and her... creatures here," he ordered with a heavy heart. They left to do as they were told very reluctantly. When they did return with her after an agonizing five minutes of dead silence, Chrom could not bear to look directly at Rachel or her Pokemon. His heart was already breaking at the sound of her soft sobbing. "East-Khan, this is Rachel and her Pokemon. They are the creatures from her homeland."

"I see the purple cat is among them," Flavia commented, focusing her attention on Espy. Though Espy did not react to her comment and scrutiny, her eyes did gain a steely look in them as she stayed in her seated position. "What a surprise. I never expected such a fierce, intelligent look in animals," she recognized the look in her eyes. Fierce growling made her turn to look at the others. Blaze and Sparky were poised to strike, Shadow and Glacy were standing in front of Rachel like guards, while Aqua and Eclair simply stayed wary. "So these Pokemon, as you call them... Are they the cause of witchcraft being used on animals?"

"N-No!" Rachel exclaimed. "At the base of everything, they are just animals which have developed special powers! There's nothing like witchcraft involved!"

"Prove it, girl," Flavia challenged.

"I... I don't know how..." her strong-spirited defense of her Pokemon quickly crumbled. How could she prove something that was not true? "How do I..." She could feel her eyes getting wet again. She was despairing over the fact that all this had nothing to do with her and her Pokemon. Why were they getting even more involved with Ylisse's troubles? What happened to Chrom and Robin's promise that they would protect her and not involve her in their affairs?

"Well?"

"I don't know!" Rachel screamed, shocking the Shepherds with the sudden outburst. "I don't know! I don't know!" She collapsed to her knees, fresh tears pouring from her eyes.

"Rachel!" Lissa and Robin quickly went to her side, concerned for her well-being. All her Pokemon did too, crying out in worry for their trainer.

"Robin, please help me..." Rachel begged. "I don't know how to prove anything... They're not evil creatures... Please believe me..." Robin nodded. She knew she had to make up for the nearly broken promise.

"East-Khan!" Robin announced loud and clear as she stood up, conviction in her voice and posture. "I will not allow you to further torment an individual under the Shepherd's protection! Just your request to see the Pokemon with your own eyes alone is nearly breaking the word we have promised Rachel!"

"Oh?" Flavia arched her eyebrow in slight confusion. "I thought you said they were a volunteer force, Prince Chrom?"

"Rachel and her Pokemon are not a 'force'! She is merely a civilian who has agreed to lend her Pokemon's power as assistance should the Shepherds require it!"

"Then why did you mention them as a force, Prince Chrom? I wouldn't have been so suspicious of them if you had mentioned she was a civilian from the start," Flavia groaned.

"But didn't you just say you suspected the Pokemon of having witchcraft?" Chrom defended himself.

"I did, but only because you said they were a 'force'. They could easily bewitch any of our soldiers at any time without us knowing and raise an army of their own. I couldn't risk that possibility. But if you had mentioned from the start that she's just a civilian with magical creatures as pets giving you help, I wouldn't even have considered it as witchcraft."

"Chrom! This is all your fault! You made Rachel cry!" Lissa accused her brother, glaring at him viciously as she comforted Rachel.

"That was an extremely unwise choice of words, milord," Frederick agreed.

"I told you I wasn't good at politics..." Chrom muttered.

"At least apologize to her!" Lissa yelled.

"R-Right! Rachel, I, uh, am truly sorry for putting you on the spot like that. I realize I might have unintentionally broken my promise to you. Please forgive me," he apologized a little awkwardly, but bowed his head to show his sincerity. Rachel did not look at him directly but at least he saw her nodding. "Thank you for your kindness."

"Might I advise you read up on politics, milord? We should avoid misunderstandings such as this, if the situation arises again," Frederick advised.

"Alright, alright..." Chrom groaned, feeling quite sore that he was made to be the 'bad guy'. He only felt worse when Flavia laughed at his expense.

*****Break Line*****

Arena Ferox was an amazing structure, with more than enough space for fighters to run wild on the arena floor while countless spectators could cheer from all around them. Flavia informed them that the tournament held no rules. Even hiding in the stairways that led to the arena floor was permitted as long as they did not flee beyond a certain point. The only exception was in the case of female competitors, no deliberate sexual harassment, whether by man or woman, was allowed as it went against the warrior's code. That meant proper attire for women, and clothing meant to tempt the male hormones and questionable female hormones on rare occasions, as distractions were not allowed. Only accidental groping and shredding of certain portions of clothes due to damage could be overlooked. No-one dared to try and fake such accidents, as anyone who did and got caught red-handed was put to death for such vile actions.

The conditions for the tournament were the ruling khan was allowed nine combatants, but could not switch them once decided. The challenging khan could only have six combatants, but were allowed to scout the ruling khan's party and choose their combatants accordingly. Flavia explained that this was such because the ruling khan represented Regna Ferox which took great pride in its strength. The ruling khan must believe that the combatants he chose were the best of the best, hence their no-switching clause. The challenging khan represented invaders that knew what Regna Ferox was capable of and were planning a takeover, hence the planning before the fight. But because they were 'invaders', the home advantage did not belong to them, hence their lesser numbers.

"Chrom! Look!" Lissa exclaimed when she spotted who the champion for the West-Khan was.

"I see him..." Chrom replied, recognizing him as Marth. "Marth! One question, before we begin?"

"..." Marth remained tight-lipped and refused to reply.

"...Fine, then. Our swords can speak for us!" Both stepped forward to the middle of the arena and unsheathed their swords. To Chrom's shock, it was the exact same sword that he held. Marth had the Falchion too! "Where did you get that?" he asked but again he got no answer. "There is no way..." he muttered in disbelief before he made the first move, leaping high for a diving smash which was blocked. Marth quickly parried him away to avoid a deadlock and started a sequence of sword swings which Chrom recognized immediately as his own. "Tell me, who taught you to fight like that?" He squashed any further shock even as Marth perfectly mimicked his actions as he switched stances, including the follow-up attack as they charged past one another. This time, it was Marth who performed the diving smash he used earlier.

"...My father!" Marth finally answered as he landed cleanly despite the missed attack when Chrom leaped out of the way. After giving a challenging gesture, he returned back to his side of the arena, Chrom doing the same.

"Marth is a gifted swordsman, and his men look capable as well," Robin finished her analysis of Marth's party when Chrom returned. "We should mind our distance. Due to the limited numbers we're allowed, I have to exclude some of you. For that same reason, we cannot spare any units for cover. Lissa, Miriel, Virion, I must exclude you. Sumia, I have to exclude you as well. We must claim victory against these veteran soldiers today and though you performed admirably in the battle at Longfort, the others have more experience."

"Okay, if you think it's best, Robin," Lissa accepted.

"Very well," Miriel agreed without argument.

"If you think it wise, then I shall gladly bow out of this fight," Virion accepted as well.

"I understand. It will be good for my pegasus to have some rest as well," Sumia nodded.

"Thank you," Robin thanked them for their understanding.

"Flavia has chosen me as champion, so I must compete. Robin, I want you in as well to guide us," Chrom spoke up, making sure the two of them were mandatory. Taking another look at his Shepherds and discounting those that Robin wanted out, there were exactly four left. "Looks like we have our team."

*****Break Line*****

Rachel and her Pokemon had heard Flavia's explanation of the tournament and all eight of them realized something. It sounded exactly like a Pokemon battle against a Gym Leader. The West-Khan had fixed units and were not allowed to switch, just like how a Gym Leader had to specialize on only one Type and were not allowed to switch. The Shepherds on the other hand, could know what they were up against and prepare accordingly. Just like a Pokemon trainer, if they did their research on the Gym Leader, they could plan how to battle against them to increase their chances of winning. The only difference was the number of combatants allowed.

Rachel was the passive kind of trainer, one who never challenged anyone but would never refuse when challenged. Her Pokemon were perfectly fine with that since they still got their exercise through battle. Among the seven of them, only Blaze and Sparky had a competitive streak in them and often wanted to battle. The others were more or less just fine either way since Rachel did her best to make sure everyone had approximately the same amount of battle participation. Due to the very similar settings, Blaze and Sparky felt their competitive side come to the surface and they wanted to satisfy it.

"Blaze? Sparky? Where are you going?" Rachel asked when she saw them leave her side. She was told to follow the Shepherds to the Arena, packing several vulneraries in her travel bag to hand out to them when the tournament started. Shadow was tasked to guard the unmanned convoy while the rest accompanied Rachel. When they turned to face her with eager looks and smirks, she knew what they wanted. They wanted to battle. The one time they could be totally free from being involved and they wanted in. "Oh, okay..." she sighed. "But please listen to Chrom and Robin if they need you to do something, okay? If you can, try not to kill anyone." They nodded in acknowledgement before walking towards Robin and staring at her intently.

*****Break Line*****

The six chosen Shepherds stared at the two Pokemon as they stared right at Robin.

"Uh... Rachel?" Robin turned to a sheepish Rachel to ask what Blaze and Sparky wanted.

"They want to fight..." she said, her voice barely over a whisper.

"If they want, they can replace two of you," Flavia mentioned. "Of course, I'm intrigued to see what these Pokemon are capable of doing."

"I don't mind giving them a chance," Stahl immediately offered his position. "I think I'm getting a little too hungry too..."

"Eh, why not?" Sully shrugged and stepped back, offering her position too.

"Is this really okay, Stahl? Lady Sully?" Rachel asked, looking between the two Cavaliers.

"Lady?" Sully repeated, as if surprised by the title. "None of that now, Rachel. Since you're no soldier, just call me Sully."

"O-Okay!"

"It's fine," Stahl chuckled. "We can't let only the captain or Robin repay you for your Pokemon's help. We have to do our part too!"

"Thank you so much!" Rachel bowed in gratitude. "When it's my turn to cook the meals, I'll make extra portions for both of you!"

"You will?" Stahl brightened up. Food was a surefire way to cheer him up.

"We'll be looking forward to it then!" Sully smiled as they both allowed Blaze and Sparky to take their spots.

"I assume there are no more changes?" Flavia asked.

"Yes. We are ready," Chrom nodded and the chosen six stepped forward into the arena floor.

*****Break Line*****

The first two combatants from Marth's side were Fighters that came charging towards the Shepherds. Robin arched an eyebrow in confusion. She knew they were veterans, but why the reckless charge? Vaike easily demolished one of them with the powerful blows of his axe while Chrom and Robin paired up against the other.

"Did you really think you could overpower the Vaike?" Vaike bragged over his fallen foe. Robin supposed he had the right to brag. Other than Frederick, Vaike was the only other person with large physical strength among the Shepherds. She observed carefully as the remaining six veterans positioned themselves closer to one another while Marth was content to wait all the way at the back. She deduced they were taking a defensive position and told Chrom to lead the Shepherds forward.

As they cautiously marched forward, one of the mages on the other side suddenly launched a Thunder attack towards Robin. Despite her own preference of the lightning element of magic, her eyes widened when she saw the attack speeding towards her much faster and further away than if she had fired her own Thunder. Their opponents were not veterans for no reason. Their mastery over the lightning element was much higher than her own. Bracing herself for the electricity to course through her body painfully, she was instead pushed aside by Sparky who took the magical attack in her place.

"Sparky!" she cried out for the Pokemon when the attack detonated into a small flash of yellow light when it made contact with him. When it cleared, Sparky looked no worse for wear. In fact, small jolts of yellow electricity sparked around the points of his now spiky fur. "Sparky! Are you alright?" she asked just in case. He barked loud and clear, showing he was perfectly fine. Another Thunder attack was launched from the opponent and he made no move to dodge it. Once again, he was unfazed and unhurt from taking the attack head-on. **(Ability: Volt Absorb)** He yawned in boredom before he glowed with a soft yellow light. A fast stream of electricity shot out from him, arcing through the air and striking his opponent who was not expecting return fire from such a long range, making him scream in pain but not taking him out of the fight. **(Thundershock)**

"That yellow dog is immune to lightning!" the other veteran mage realized at the same time as Robin before switching to a Fire tome and launching a ball of flame. This time, it was Blaze who jumped into the path of the fireball where it exploded around him uselessly. He smirked as his non-flammable fur and mane looked more vibrant after the flames died down. **(Ability: Flash Fire) **Blaze retaliated by breathing out a linear stream of fire back at his opponent. This time, the opponent was more aware and moved out of the way. Just as he was feeling proud of himself for dodging, Blaze quickly readjusted his aim without dropping his attack and hit his target. **(Incinerate)** His clothes lit up on fire where he was hit and his allies quickly put him out. "No! My tome!" he exclaimed in dismay when he saw his Fire tome burning and already turning to ashes. **(Incinerate bonus effect)**

The Shepherds looked on impressed and awed, with Lissa cheering very loudly from their corner of the arena. When two Fighters tried to provide defensive cover for the mages, Frederick quickly charged in and took them out effortlessly, showing his prowess as a Great Knight. With nothing else protecting the mages, Chrom and Robin moved in to take them out. Two Knights were all that was left standing between the Shepherds and Marth. Due to their bulky armor, weapons tended to break and chip easily when fighting against them. Within their team, only magic did anything effectively against them but Vaike boasted he could take on a Knight without breaking a sweat. While the latter part was not exactly true since he did sweat from exertion and bleeding from various cuts and slashes, he did take down one of them, even shattering the armor into pieces without too much damage to his axe.

For the other Knight, he decided the Pokemon were the biggest threat since they were the unknown factors. While not wrong in his thinking, he did not have the capabilities to take advantage of it. When he charged at them at the sluggish speed he ran at, he was blasted back by a huge stream of high-impact fire centered at his body armor. **(Flamethrower) **When Blaze ceased his attack, his armor was heavily melted rather than simply being scorched black. He had been knocked down from the impact but before he could get back up, he felt a weight hold him down. Craning his neck forward, he saw Sparky putting his front paws on his shoulder pads and holding him down. All he saw before being engulfed in a world of hurt was Sparky glowing yellow again. Electricity coursed through his entire body and his armor only conducted it further, making it hurt even worse. **(Discharge) **He was not even aware of when he fell unconscious from the pain.

Once Marth was all alone, he brandished his Falchion and stepped forward.

"Let us fight with honor. May the best soldier win!" he announced as he entered into a stance.

"Why were you not fighting with your allies?" Robin asked, but got no answer. However, that silence was good enough as one. She deduced that the veterans did not trust Marth and he had no intention of fighting alongside them either. There was no trust between them, a horrible thing in the battlefield. Marth swept his gaze over the Shepherds before finally ending at Chrom.

"Enter the Vaike!" Vaike announced his presence as he took the first try at engaging Marth despite his injuries. He had drunk a vulnerary but not all his injuries were healed. While it was obvious Vaike could easily overpower Marth, he lacked skill and technique. His swings were large and wide, meant to deal crushing blows and breaking through defenses. Marth was nimble and had superior skill and technique, easily outmaneuvering Vaike and scoring a hit which disarmed him. Before he could recover, a sword's tip was pointed at his throat and he was forced to yield.

Marth swept his gaze for his next challenger before stopping at Robin. For some reason, a frown appeared on his face when he saw her standing side by side with Chrom. He pointed his sword towards her, requesting a duel with her wordlessly. A grim expression was set on Robin's face as she drew her sword. While she knew she was capable with both sword and magic, magic was her preferred method of combat. Faced with Marth's exceptional swordsmanship, she was pushed to the brink just from defending herself. When her bronze sword finally snapped in two after numerous clashes with the unbreakable blade known as the Falchion, she suffered a deep wound across her mid-section while she was weaponless. She crumpled to her knees, clutching her profusely bleeding stomach in a futile effort to stem the blood loss. With the last dregs of her strength, she managed one last Thunder attack which fortunately scored a hit before she passed out.

"Frederick, withdraw with Robin! Get Lissa to tend to that wound!" Chrom ordered.

"Yes, milord!" he obeyed immediately, gently carrying Robin as he directed his steed to Lissa.

"Return to Rachel. I can handle this alone," Chrom told the Pokemon who nodded in acknowledgement as they too retreated. "Who is your father?" he asked Marth once they were alone. Marth's swordsmanship matched his own far too closely for it to be a mere coincidence or an attempted imitation.

"I've said enough for one day, sir," he replied, though there was a slight apologetic tone in his voice.

"Is that how it is?" he sighed, knowing he would not get an answer. "Lissa owes you her life, and for that you have my gratitude. But within these walls, I represent the East-Khan and the interests of Ylisse. I can't promise to stay my blade but I vow not to shame you." The image of Robin bleeding out in front of him was still fresh in his mind. He had planned on simply proving his swordsmanship was better when it was his turn to duel with Marth, but the severe injury to his Tactician made him state that he would deliver a fatal blow if he deemed it necessary to win.

"Heh, never expected such youthful arrogance... We shall see who shames who!" he declared as they charged towards each other. Neither Falchion gave in to the other as their blades clashed over and over again. Over time, Chrom managed to gain the advantage, nicking Marth's scarf. He realized that Marth had slowed down, likely from the one attack Robin got in before she was defeated. Marth began to wear out from fatigue, and Chrom dealt the finishing blow to their duel. "Impressive... if not surprising..." he groaned in defeat. The spectating crowd grew wild and cheered for the victor.

*****Break Line*****

"Well fought! You have my respect," Flavia praised them after she had their own Clerics aid Lissa in mending Robin's very deep wound. "And, perhaps more to the point, you have your alliance. I will provide Ylisse with the soldiers she needs."

"Truly? Thank you, East-Khan," Chrom thanked her for holding on to her end of the promise.

"I should thank you! It feels like it's been ages since I've held full power. Come, my new friends! Tonight, we celebrate!" Before anyone could comment on that, she had already left to prepare for the celebration.

"Bah! Any excuse for a party and jumps on it..." a man's deep voice rumbled out from behind the Shepherds. It was a dark-skinned man wearing gold armor and an eye-patch.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Chrom asked politely.

"I'm the West-Khan you so rudely removed from power!" he introduced himself, but not his name. "You're handy with a sword, boy. I thought for sure I'd picked the stronger man. That, and I definitely wasn't expecting you to bring two dogs skilled with lightning and fire magic too!"

"What do you know about him?" he asked, seeing a chance to learn more about Marth. It appeared the West-Khan had accepted the Pokemon for what they were and did not ask about them. It was a small relief for Chrom as that meant less unneeded attention on Rachel.

"You mean that 'Marth'? Bah! He's just some sellsword with delusions of grandeur," the West-Khan scoffed. "All I know is that he turned up one eve and knocked my old champion flat. It was love at first sight, and I'm generally too old for such things!" He then burst into hearty laughter. "Anyway, he's gone now. Up and fled the moment the tournament ended."

"He's so dark and mysterious..." Lissa sighed dreamily.

"Sounds like Marth's got at least one fan..." Robin said, but winced when her wound flared in pain.

"Well, I mean, come on... He _is _sort of dreamy, isn't he?"

"And _you're _sort of dreaming!" Chrom was not feeling pleased his younger sister was having a silly crush over someone they barely knew.

"Lighten up, Big Brother. I was just kidding," Lissa played everything off.

"Milord? Milady? If this fascinating discussion is over, we'd best return home," Frederick interjected. "The exalt will want this news of our new alliance immediately."

"Right as always, Frederick," Chrom agreed.

"Hold, boy. Before you go, I have a little present for you," the West-Khan stopped them. A man walked up and stood next to him, eyeing everyone with a cautious look. "This is Lon'qu, my former champion. Not much for talking, mind you, but he's peerless with a sword. As good as Marth, in my mind. To be honest, I can't figure out how Marth bested him so quickly." It was here Robin realized why Marth's party was so unorganized. They had planned to fight together with this man, and not Marth. The camaraderie between them and their new leader had not been formed yet. It was a blessing in disguise, she supposed.

"Marth beat him?" Lissa exclaimed. "But he looks so big and strong..."

"Away, woman!" Lon'qu snarled when Lissa got closer to look at him more carefully.

"Hey! Wh-What did I say!" she yelped as she backed off.

"Let's just say that ladies tend to put Lon'qu on edge," the West-Khan laughed. "Nonetheless, he is capable. Perhaps he even has the makings of a khan. Consider him West Ferox's contribution to the Ylissean cause."

"You're certain about this?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, yes. He's your man now."

"And Lon'qu? You have no objections?" he turned to Lon'qu.

"He gives orders. I stab people. I think our roles are clear," he replied.

"...Alright, then. Welcome aboard."

*****End of Chapter*****

**Author's Note: Some of you may have questions about certain scenes in this chapter. For the Pokemon side of this story, I might take certain elements from the anime as well, not just from the games. Pokemon are, if you think about it, really animals. And in the anime, they can all understand one another. Taking that into account, Rachel's Pokemon are able to speak to all the animals of the Fire Emblem Awakening dimension. It probably won't be mentioned much in future chapters, but do keep it in mind if such a scene pops up.**

**Another thing I'll be using from the anime is there are no limits to how many moves a Pokemon can use. I mean, come on. You have to have severe memory problems if you've been fighting for so long but can only remember four moves. It doesn't make sense at all. So I'll be mixing it with the rules of the games, meaning all the moves that Rachel's Pokemon are able to use can be legally learned in the games barring certain exceptions (Dragonair's weather-changing ability because it's a natural ability all Dragonairs have). In case anyone's confused about why Incinerate's bonus effect happens, think about it. The tomes used to cast the magical spells are books. I think you can see why now.**

**On the Fire Emblem Awakening side of things, I'm taking into consideration that you can choose to play on Casual mode, which means your other units besides Chrom and Robin return after losing on one battlefield. In real life, your chances on a battlefield is actually a mix of Casual mode and Classic mode. Sometimes you survive a defeat and live to fight another day after complete recovery. Sometimes you can't recover completely and can no longer fight again. Other times, you just die on the battlefield. Based on that, the same thing should apply to Chrom and Robin, as seen in this chapter.**

**This chapter also begins the start of relationship building. I've left a few hints as to which pairing I've already decided upon. I'm unsure if I should write a support conversation that involves Rachel, if I even can do it correctly, or if I should let the story just continue and let the readers decide for themselves if any scene involving Rachel and another character happens and they feel that particular scene can count as a support conversation for Rachel.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you like it, please Follow/Favorite/Review this story! Big thanks for those who do!**


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